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3. 

A PAPIST * 

MISREPRESENTED AND REPRESENTED, , 

OR, 

A TWOFOLD CHARACTER OF 3 ^3 

POPERY. *77< 

THE EIRST 

CONTAINING A SUM OF THE SUPERSTITIONS, IDOLATRIES, 
CRUELTIES, TREACHERIES, AND WICKED PRINCI- 
PLES LAID TO THEIR CHARGE: 

THE OTHER 

Laying open that Religion which those termed Papists own and 

profess ; the chief articles of their Faith, and the principal 

grounds and reasons which attach them to it 



BY THE REV. JOHN GOTHER. 



from the nineteenth London edition. Revised by a Catholic 
Clergyman of Baltimore, 



BALTIMORE • 



PUBLISHED BY FIELDING LUCAS, JUN R 

No 138 Market street, 



<y. 



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PREFACE 



OF THE AMERICAN EDITOR. 

The very numerous editions this work has gone 
through, sufficiently show how acceptable it has been to 
the public. Nothing indeed more useful could be devised, 
especially at the time it was. first published, when unin- 
formed prejudice had produced so many unfavourable 
impressions in the mind of every denomination of people, 
and animosity against the Catholic Religion had been 
raised to its highest pitch, by a constant misrepresenta- 
tion of its doctrines, and false accusations laid to its 
charge. Few men examined beyond report ; and very 
few were acquainted with the genuine and real doctrines 
of the Catholic Church. Yet it is an undeniable fact, 
that the Catholic doctrine could not be attacked with 
any success but by misrepresentation, and that it wants 
only to be known, to obtain the suffrages of upright men, 
and to silence the most inveterate of its enemies. No 
man was so proper for this task, as Mr. Gother, who had 
himself maintained alike those prejudices, in common with 
other Protestants, till, advanced in judgment, reason, and 
age, by a strict examination he found he had been de- 
ceived. The result was, his joining that Church, which 
he had opposed ; and after proper studies* becoming one 



of its Clergy. In these pursuits, had any concealed and 
wicked doctrines been a mystery, no doubt his integrity 
to truth would have again separated him. So far from 
that, he endeavoured with success to communicate to 
others the treasure he himself enjoyed, and with many 
others, the Right Rev. Dr. Challoner, owed to him the 
choice of Catholic unity. And after passing through the 
highest honours of the College and Prelacy, at his death 
he left this Selection, with several other publications, to 
rectify the prejudices^he still bewailed to lurk in his 
country. This work therefore is not new, but contains 
the sincerest truths professed in the Catholic Church, 
which hates nothing so much as falsehood and misrepre- 
sentation. The republication of this little work eunnot 
fail to be gratefi 11 to all Roman Catholics, who will find 
in it the clearest exposition of their principal tenets; 
moreover, unprejudiced men, of other denominaforrs, 
cannot but be satisfied in finding means of rectifying their 
notions in religious matters ; and the most obstinate will 
at least be left without excuse, in shutting their eyes to 
the most shining raj T s r f tm% 



INTRODUCTION. 

The father of lies is the author of misrepresenting. 
He first made the experiment of this black art in Para- 
dise ; having no surer way of bringing God's precepts 
into contempt, and making our first parents transgress, 
than by misrepresenting the command which their Maker 
had laid upon them. And so unhappily successful he was 
in this first attempt, that this has been his chief strata- 
gem ever since, for maintaining himself in his usurpation, 
and propagating error and vice amongst men, by discredit- 
ing virtue and truth ; and therefore there has nothing 
of good yet come into the world, nothing been sent from 
heaven, but what has met with this opposition ; the com- 
mon enemy having employed all his endeavours to bring 
it into discredit, and render it infamous by misrepresent- 
ing it. Of this there are frequent instances in Scripture, 
and more in Church history. The truth of it was expe- 
rienced on the person of Christ himself, w T ho though he 
was the Son of God, the immaculate Lamb, yet he was 
not out of the reach of calumny, nor exempt from being 
misrepresented. See in the gospel how he was painted 
by malicious men, the ministers of Satan, as a profane 
and wicked man, a breaker of the Sabbath, a glutton, a 
friend and companion of publicans and sinners, a conju- 
ror, a traitor, a seducer, a raiser of seditions, a Samari- 
tan, and full of the devil; he hath Beelzebub, said they, 
and by the prince of the devils, castelh he out devils , Mark 
iii. 22. There being no other way of frightening the 
people from embracing the truth, and following the Son 
of God, but by thus disfiguring him to the multitude, re- 
porting light to be darkness, and God to be the devil. 
The disciples of Christ every where met with the like 
treatment. The people were stirred up against St. Ste- 
phen by misrepresentation ; because they heard he had 
spoke blasphemous words against Moses, and against. God, 
Acts vi. 1 1 : and against Paul, because they were told he 
a 2 



INTRODUCTION. 



taught all men every where against the people, and pol- 
luted the holy place. Acts xxi. 28. , They charged him 
also with being a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition 
amongst all the Jews throughout the world. Acts xxiv. 5. 
Neither did these calumnies, these wicked misrepresen- 
tations stop here ; he that said the disciple is not above 
his master, arid if they have called the Master of the house 
Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his 
household, Mat. x. 24. 25, did not only foretell what 
was to happen to his followers then present, but also to 
the faithful that were to succeed them, and to his Church 
in future ages, they being all to expect the like treat- 
ment ; so that though they should be ever so just to God 
and their neighbour, upright in their ways, and live in the 
fear of God, and the observance of his laws ; yet must 
they certainly be reviled and hated by the world, made 
a by-word to the people, have the repute of seducers, 
and be a seandal to all nations. And has not this been 
verified in all ages ? See what was the state of Chris- 
tians in the primitive times, when as yet vice had not 
corrupted the purity of the morals of the generality of the 
faithful. It is almost impossible to believe in what con- 
tempt they were, and how utterly abominated. Tertul- 
lian, who was an eyewitness, gives us so lamentable an 
account of the Christians in his time, that it is able to 
move compassion in stones. He tells us, so many mali- 
cious slanders were dispersed abroad concerning the 
manner of their worship, and their whole religion de- 
scribed, not only to be mere folly and foppery, but also to 
be grounded on most hellish principles, and to be so full 
of impieties that the heathens believed a man could not 
make profession of Christianity, without being tainted 
with all sorts of crimes ; without being an enemy to the 
gods, to princes, to the laws, to good manners, and to 
nature itself. So that Christianity was wholly infamous 
among the heathens, condemned and detested by all, and 
most bloody persecutions raised against the professors of 
it, while they were guilty of no other crime but adhering 
to the truth. And it was these calumnies, these false 
accusations, invented to cry down the Christian religion, 



INTRODUCTION. Vll 

that obliged Tertullian to write his apology, wherein he 
declared to the world that Christianity was nothing like 
that which the heathens imagined it to be ; that idolatry, 
superstition, impiety, cruelty, treachery, conspiracies, &c. 
was none of their doctrine, but condemned and detested* 
by them ; that these crimes were only the malicious in- 
ventions of the heathenish priests, who finding themselves 
unable to withstand the force of Christianity, had no 
other way to preserve themselves in repute, and keep 
the people in their error, than by an ugly, odious, and 
most horrid vizor, a damnable scheme of religion, and 
then holding this forth to the world, and crying out, This 
is the religion of the Christians, these are their princi- 
ples : behold their ignorance,' their stupidity, their pro- 
faneness ; behold their insolence, their villanies : a peo- 
ple unsuiferable in a commonwealth, enemies to their 
country, and their prince. And thus representing it as 
monstrous as they pleased, they brought an odium upon 
as many as owned that name, and condemned them for 
follies and crimes that were nowhere but in their own 
imagination. 

And now, when by the propagation of Christianity, and 
the exertions of her professors, heathenism was pretty 
well extinct, yet was not the mouth of malice stopped ; 
the calumnies, w 7 hich had been invented by the infidels, 
being taken up by evil Christians. No one going out 
from the communion of the church of Christ, but what 
did, by the reviving of scandals, and the addition of fresh 
ones, endeavour to make her infamous, and blacken her 
with such crimes, as could be thought most convenient 
for rendering her odious to all. It being looked upon by 
as many as ever went out of her, the best means to justify 
their separation, and to gain to themselves the credit of 
orthodox Christians, to paint her out in all the antichris- 
tian colours, and represent her as hellish as wickedness 
could make her. It is strange how much she suffered 
in this point from the Manichees, and from the Donatists, 
and how much pains it cost St. Augustine to prove their 
accusations to be mere calumnies, principally intended 
to raise prejudices in the minds of the people against 



V1I1 INTRODUCTION. 

her; that so being convinced by these hellish artifices, 
of her teaching unsound and profane doctrine, wicked 
principles, and human inventions instead of faith, they 
might never think of going to her, to learn the truth ; nor 
even so much as suspect her to be the Church of Christ. 
This, St. Augustine complains, was the chief cause of his 
continuing in the error of the Manichees so long ; and 
that he impugned with so much violence this Church. 
And therefore, after he was come to the knowledge of 
the truth, he discovered this to the world for undeceiv- 
ing others, who were caught in the same snare ; making 
it part of his confessions, Confess. I. vi. ch. 4. When I 
came to discover that, says he, T mingled joy and blushes, 
and was ashamed, that I had now for so many years been 
barking and railing, not against the Catholic faith, but 
only against the fictions of my carnal conceits. For so 
temerarious and impious was I, that those things, which 
T ought first to have learned frcm them by inquiry, I 
charged upon them by accusation; readier to impose 
falsehood, than to be informed of the truth. And thus T 
blindly accused the Catholic church ; it being now suffi- 
ciently clear to me that she taught not the opinions I so 
vehemently persecuted. And this he did, deluded and 
deceived by the Manichees. And now since it is cer- 
tain, that this has not been the case of St. Augustine 
alone, but as many almost as have given ear to the de- 
serters of this church ; nay, is it not at this day the case 
of infinite numbers, w T ho following that great Father, 
when as yet in his errors, do not inquire, how this thing 
is believed or understood by her, but insultingly oppose 
all, as if so understood as they imagine; not making any 
difference betwixt that which the Catholic church teaches 
and what they think she teaches ; and so believing her 
to be guilty of as many absurdities, follies, impieties, &c. 
as the heathen did of old. It is evident there is as much 
need now of apologies as ever there was in Tertullian's 
or St. Augustine's time : not apologies to vindicate w 7 hat 
is really her faith and doctrine, but rather to clear her 
from such superstitions, profaneness, and wicked prin- 
ciples, as are maliciously or ignorantly charged upon her 



INTRODUCTION. 1* 

And though the number of calumnies, the insincerity of 
adversaries, the obstinacy of a biassed education, render 
a performance of this kind a just task for a Tertullian's, 
or St. Augustine's hand-; yet because I find no such emi- 
nent pen engaged in this design at present ; and the 
showing of the true religion in its own colours, seems a 
duty incumbent on every one that is a lover of truth ; I 
will endeavour to pull off the vizor from suffering Chris 
tianity, and apologize for the Catholic faith: that faith, I 
mean, maintained by those primitive Fathers, with so 
much vigour and zeal, which being first planted in the 
head city of the world by St. Peter, hath been propa- 
gated throughout the universe, and derived down to us 
by many Christian nations, in communion with that See, 
under the protection of the Holy Ghost, and the charge 
of a chief Pastor, which beginning in that great apostle, 
has continued in a visible succession to these our days. 

This faith it is, for which at present I design to make 
an apology, which having been in all ages violently op- 
posed, does at this time most wrongfully suffer under 
calumnies and false imputations. I will endeavour there- 
fore to separate these calumnies and scandals, from what 
is really the faith and doctrine of that church ; I will take 
off the black and dirt which has been thrown upon her, 
and setting her forth in her genuine complexion, let the 
world see how much fcirer she is than she is painted; 
and how much she is unlike that monster which is shown 
for her. And because the members of this Church are 
commonly known by the name of Papists : I think I can- 
not take a more sincere, open, and compendious way, in 
order to the completing this design, than by drawing 
forth a double character of a Papist : the one expressing 
a Papist in those very colours, as he is painted in the 
imagination of the vulgar, most foul, black, and antichris- 
tian ; with the chief articles of this imagined belief, and 
reputed principles of his profession. The other repre- 
senting a Papist, whose faith and excercise of his religion, 
are according to the direction and command of his 
Church. That so these two, being thus set together, 
their difference and disproportion n^be clearly discern-* 



12 

What use then does the Papist make of pictures or images 
of Christ, of the blessed Virgin, or other Saints ? Why, 
he keeps them by him to preserve in his mind the memo- 
ry of the person represented by them; as people are wont 
to preserve the memory of their deceased friends by 
keeping their pictures. He is taught to use them, so as 
to cast his eyes upon the pictures or images, and thence 
to raise his heart to the things represented, and there to 
employ it in meditation, love, and thanksgiving, desire 
of imitation, &c. as the object requires: as many good 
Christians, placing a Death's head before them, from the 
sight of it take occasion to reflect often upon their last 
end, in order to their better preparing for it; or, by see- 
ing Old Time painted with his forelock, hour-glass, and 
sithe, turn their thoughts upon the swiftness of time, 
and that whosoever neglects the present, is in danger of 
beginning then to desire to lay hold of it, when there is 
no more to come. These pictures or images having this 
advantage, that they inform the mind by one glance, of* 
what in reading might require a whole chapter. There 
being no other difference between them, than that read- 
ing represents leisurely, and by degrees ; and a picture, 
all at once. Hence he finds a convenience in saying his 
prayers with some devout pictures before him, he being 
no sooner distracted but the sight of these recalls his 
wandering thoughts to the right object; and as certainly 
brings something good into his mind, as an immodest pic- 
ture disturbs his heart with filthy thoughts. And be* * 
cause he is -sensible that these holy pictures and images 
represent and bring to his mind such objects, as in his 
heart he loves, honours, and venerates; he cannot but 
upon that account love, honour, and respect the images 
themselves. As, whosoever loves a husband, a child, 
or friend, cannot but have some love and respect^br their 
pictures; whosoever loves and honours his Sng, will 
have some honour and regard for his image. Not that 
he venerates any image or picture, for any virtue or di- 
vinity believed to be in them, or for any thing that is to 
be petitioned of them; but because the honour, that is 
exhibited to them, is referred to those whom they repre 



13 

sent. So that it is not properly the images he honours, 
but Christ and his Saints by the images : as it is not 
properly the images or pictures of kings or other men 
that we respect or injure ; but by their images or pictures 
we respect or injure the persons themselves. All the 
veneration therefore he expresses before images, whether 
by kneeling, lifting up the eyes, burning candles, incense* 
&c. it is not at all done for the images, but is wholly re^ 
ferred to the things represented, which he intends to 
honour by these actions. And how, by so doing, he 
breaks the second Commandment, he cannot conceive ; 
for he acknowledges only one God, and to him alone 
gives sovereign honour; and whatsoever respect he 
shows to a crucifix, picture, or image, seems to him no 
more injurious to any of the commandments, than it is 
for a Christian to love and honour his neighbour, because 
he bears the image of God in his solil ; to kiss and esteem 
the Bible, because it contains and represents to him 
God's word ; or to love a good preacher, because he 
minds him of his duty ; all which respects do not at all 
derogate from God Almighty's honour ; but are rather 
testimonies of our great love and honour of him, since for 
his sake, we love and esteem every thing that has any 
iespect or relation to him. 

OF WORSHIPPING SAINTS. 

The Papist misrepresented , makes gods of dead men : 
such as are departed hence, and are now no more able to 
hear, see, or understand his necessities. And though 
God be so good as to invite all to come to him, and to 
apply themselves to their only and infinite Mediator, Jesus 
Christ ; yet so stupid is he, that neglecting, and as it 
were, passing by both God and his only Son, and all their 
mercies, he betakes himself to his Saints, and then pour- 
ing forth his prayers, he confides in them as his media- 
tors and redeemers, and expects no blessing, but what is 
to come to him by their merits, and through their hands : 
and thus, without scruple or remorse, he robs God of his 
honour. 



14 

The Papist, truly represented, believes there is only 
one God, and that it is a most damnable idolatry to make 
gods of men either living or dead. His Church teaches 
him indeed, (and he believes,) that it is good and profita- 
ble to desire the intercession of Saints reigning with Christ 
in heaven : but that they are gods, or his redeemers, he 
is no where taught ; but detests all such doctrine. He 
confesses that we are all redeemed by the blood of Christ 
alone, and that he is our only Mediator of redemption : 
but as for mediators of intercession, (that is, such as we 
may lawfully desire to pray for us) he does not doubt but 
it is acceptable to God we should have many. Moses 
was such a mediator for the Israelites, Job for his three 
friends ; Stephen for his persecutors. The Romans were 
thus desired by St. Paul to be his mediators; so were the 
Corinthians, so the Ephesians, Ep. ad Rom. Cor. Eph. 
So almost every sick man desires the congregation to be 
his mediators by remembering him in their prayers. And 
so the Papist desires the Blessed in heaven to be his 
mediators ; that is, that they would pray to God for him. 
And in this, he does not at all neglect coming to God, or 
rob him of his honour ; but directing all his prayers up to 
him, and making him the ultimate object of all his peti- 
tions, he only desires sometimes the just on earth, some- 
times those in heaven, to join their prayers to his, that 
so the number of petitioners being increased, the petition 
may find better acceptance in the sight of God. And 
this is not to make them gods, but only petitioners to 
God ; it is not to make them his redeemers, but only in- 
tercessors to his Redeemer ; he having no hopes of ob- 
taining any thing, but of God alone, by and through the 
merits of Christ ; for which he desires the Saints in 
heaven, and good men on earth, to offer up their prayers 
with his; the prayers of the just availing much before 
God. But now, how the Saints in heaven know the 
prayers and necessities of such, who address themselves 
to them, whether by the ministry of angels, or in the 
vision of God, or by some particular revelation, it is no 
part of his faith, nor is it much his concern it should be 
determined. For his part he does not doubt, but that 



15 

God, who acquainted the prophets with the knowledge 
of things, that were yet to come many hundred, years 
after ; that informed Elisha of the king of Syria's coun- 
sel, though privately resolved on, in his bed-chamber, 
and at a distance, 2 Kings , vi. 12. can never want a 
means of letting the Saints know the desires of those 
who beg their intercession here on earth ; especially since 
our Saviour informs us, Luke xvi. that Abraham heard 
the petitions of Dives, who was yet at a greater distance, 
even in hell ; and told him likewise the manner of his liv- 
ing, while as yet on earth. Nay, since it is generally 
allowed, that even the very devils hear those desperate 
wretches, who call on them ; why then should he doubt 
that the Saints want this privilege, who though departed 
this life, are not so properly dead, as translated from a 
mortal life to an immortal one ; where, enjoying God 
Almighty, they lose no perfections which they enjoyed 
while on earth, but possess all in a more eminent manner ; 
having more charity, more knowledge, more interest 
with God than ever ; and becoming Eke Angels ; Luke 
xx. 36. And as these offered up their prayers for Jeru- 
salem, and the cities of Judah, Zach. i. 12. so undoubt- 
edly they likewise fall down before the Lamb, having 
every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours, 
which are the prayers of the Saints, Apoc. v. 8. 

OF ADDRESSING MORE SUPPLICATIONS TO 
THE VIRGIN MARY THAN TO CHRIST. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes the Virgin Mary 
to be much more powerful in heaven than Christ, and 
that she can command him to do what she thinks good : 
and for this he honours her much more than he does her 
Son, or God the Father; for one prayer he says to God, 
saying ten to the Holy Virgin. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable to 
think the Virgin Mary more powerful in heaven than 
Christ ; or that she can in any" thing command him. He 
honours her indeed as one that was chosen to be mother 



16 

of God, and blessed amongst all women; and believes 
her to be most acceptable to God in her intercession for 
us : but owning her still as a creature, and that all she 
has of excellency is the gift of God, proceeding from his 
mere goodness. Neither floes he at any time say even 
so much as one prayer to her, but what is directed more 
principally to God ; because offered up as a thankful me- 
morial of Christ's incarnation, and acknowledgment of 
the blessedness of Jesus the fruit of her womb. And 
this without imagining that there is any more dishonour- 
ing of God in Iris reciting the Angelical Salutation, than 
in the first pronouncing of it by the Angel Gabriel and 
Elizabeth : or that his frequent repetition of it, is any 
more an idle superstition, than it was in David to repeat 
the same words over twenty-six times in the 136th Psalm, 

OF PAYING DIVINE WORSHIP TO RELICS. 

The Papist, misrepresented , believes a kind, of divinity 
to remain in the Relics of his reputed Saints, and there- 
fore adores their rotten bones, their corrupted flesh, their 
old rags, with divine honour ; kneeling down to them, 
kissing them, and going in pilgrimage to their shrines and 
sepulchres. And he is so far possessed with a conceited 
deity lying in those senseless remains, that he foolishly 
believes that they work greater miracles, and raise more 
to life than ever Christ himself did. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable to 
think there is any divinity in the Relics of Saints, or to 
adore them with divine honour, or to pray to their rotten 
bones, old rags, or shrines, or that they can work any 
strange cures or miracles, by any hidden power of their 
own. But he believes it good and lawful to keep them 
with veneration, and to give them a religious honour and 
respect. And this he thinks due to them, inasmucli as 
knowing himself obliged to respect and honour God Al- 
mighty from his heart ; he looks upon himself as obliged 
to respect and honour every thing that has any particu- 
lar relation to him : but this with an inferior honour ; such 



17 

fts the Jews showed to the Ark, to the Tables of the 
Law, to Moses's rod, to the Temple, to the Priests. 
Such as we generally allow the Bible, because it contains 
God's w T ord ; to the Church, because it is God's house ; 
to holy men and priests, because they are God's servants. 
And so he does to Relics, because they appertain to God's 
favourites : and being insensible things, are yet sensible 
pledges, and lively memorials of Christ's servants, dead 
indeed to this world, but alive with him in glory. And 
more especially because God himself has been pleased to 
honour them, by making them instruments of many evi- 
dent miracles, which he has visibly worked by them ; as 
is manifest upon undeniable record. And this he believes 
as easy for God Almighty now, and as much redounding 
to the honour of his holy name, as it w T as in the old law 
to work such miraculous effects by Moses's rod, by Elias's 
mantle, after he was taken up into heaven, 2 Kings ii. 
14. Eliseus's bones, 2 Kings xiii. 21, and infinite other 
such like insensible things : and also in the new Law, by 
the hem of his own garment, Matt. ix. 21. by the shadow 
of St. Peter, Acts v. 15. by the napkins and handker- 
chiefs that had but just touched the body of St. Paul, 
casting out devils, and curing diseases, Acts xix. 12. and 
such like. And thus by having a veneration and respect 
for these, he honours God : and does not doubt, but that 
they, that contemn and profane these, do the like to God, 
as much as they did, w T ho profaned the bread of proposi- 
tion, the Temple, and vessels that belonged to it. 

OF THE EUCHARIST. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes it lawful to com- 
mit Idolatry, and makes it his daily practice to worship 
and adore a breaden god, giving divine honour to those 
poor, empty elements, of bread and wine. Of these he 
asks pardon for his sins ; of these he desires grace and 
salvation; these he acknowledges to have been his Re- 
deemer and Saviour, and hopes for no good but what is 
to come to him by means of these household gods. And 
then, for his apology, he alleges such gross contradic- 
b 2 



18 

tiong, so contrary to all sense and reason, that whosoever 
will be a Papist, most be no man ; fondly believing, that 
what he adores is no bread or wine, but Christ really 
present under those appearances ; and thus makes as many 
Christs, as many Redeemers, as there are Churches, 
Altars, or Priests. When, according to God's infallible 
word there is but one Christ, and he not on earth, but at 
the right hand of his Father in heaven. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it abominable 
to commit any kind of idolatry; and most damnable to 
worship or adore a breaden god, or to give divine honour 
to the elements of bread and w T ine. He worships only 
one God, who made heaven and earth, and his only Son, 
Jesus Christ our Redeemer ; who being in all things equal 
to his Father, in truth and omnipotency, he believes, 
made his words good, pronounced at his last supper; 
really giving his body and blood to his Apostles ; the sub- 
stance of bread and wine being by his powerful words 
changed into his own body and blood, the species and 
appearance of the bread and wine remaining as before. 
The same he believes of the most holy Sacrament of the 
Eucharist, consecrated now by Priests: that it really 
contains the body of Christ, which was delivered for us ; 
and his blood which was shed for the remission of sins : 
which being there united with the divinity, he confesses 
whole Christ to be present ; and him he adores and ac- 
knowledges his Redeemer, and not any bread or wine. 
And for the believing of this mystery, he does not at all 
think it meet for any Christian to appeal from Christ's 
word to his ow T n senses or reason, for the examining the 
truth of what he has said, but rather to submit his senses 
and reason, to Christ's words in the obsequiousness of 
faith : and that being a son of Abraham, it is more be- 
coming him to believe as Abraham did, promptly, with a 
faith superior to all sense or reason, and whither these 
could never lead him. With this faith it is he believes 
every mystery of his Religion, the Trinity, Incarnation, 
&c. With this faith he believes that what descended 
upon our Saviour at his baptism in Jordan, was really 



19 

the Holy Ghost, though senses or reason could discover 
it to be nothing but a dove ; with this faith he believes 
that the man that Joshua saw standing over against him 
with his sword drawn, Josh. v. 13. and the three men' 
that Abraham entertained in the plains of Mamre, Gen. 
xviii. were really and substantially no men ; and that not- 
withstanding all the information and evidence of sense, 
from their colour, features, proportion, talking, eating, 
&c. of their being men ; yet without any discredit to his 
senses, he really believes they were no such thing, be- 
cause God's word has assured him of the contrary: and 
with this faith he believes Christ's body and blood to be 
really present in the blessed Sacrament, though, to all 
outward appearance, there is nothing more than bread 
and wine : thus not at all hearkening to his senses in a 
matter where God speaks, he unfeignedly confesses that 
He that made the world of nothing by his sole word, that 
cured diseases by his word, that raised the dead by his 
word, that commanded the winds and seas, that multi- 
plied bread, tha,t changed water into wine by his word, 
and sinners into just men, cannot want power to change 
bread and wine into his own body and blood by his sole 
word. And this without danger of multiplying his body, 
of making as many Christs as altars, or leaving the right 
hand of his Father. But only by giving to his body a super- 
natural manner of existence, by which, being without 
extension of parts, rendered independent of place, it may 
be one and the same in many places at once, and whole 
in every part of the symbols, and not obnoxious to any 
corporeal contingencies. And this kind of existence is 
no more, than what he in a manner bestows upon every 
glorified body ; than what his own body had, when born 
without the least violation of his mother's virginal inte- 
grity; when he arose from the dead, out of the sepulchre, 
without removing the stone ; when he entered amongst 
his disciples, the doors being shut. And though he can- 
not understand how this is done, yet he undoubtedly be- 
lieves, that God is able to do more than he is able to 
understand. 



20 

OF MERITS AND GOOD WORKS. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes Christ's death 
and passion to be ineffectual, and insignificant, and that 
he has no dependence upon the merits of his sufferings, 
or the mercy of God for obtaining salvation ; but that he 
is to be saved by his own merits. And, for this reason, 
he is very busy in fasting, in watching, in going in pro- 
cession, in wearing hair shirts, and using a thousand such 
like mortifications ; and having done this, he thinks him- 
self not at all beholden to God for his salvation, and that to 
give him heaven, will be no favour ; it being now his due, 
upon the account of his own meritorious achievements, 
without any of God's mercy through Christ's passion, or 
his Maker's goodness. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable to 
say that Christ's death and passion is ineffectual and in- 
significant; and that it is the doctrine of devils to believe 
that he has no dependence for his salvation upon the 
merits of Christ's sufferings, or the mercy of God; but 
only upon his own merits and good works. It is his faith 
to believe, that of ourselves we are not sufficient so much 
as to think a good thought; that the grace by which we 
are justified, is given us purely gratis upon the account 
of Christ's merits ; moreover, that no man, how just so- 
ever, can merit any thing either in this life, or in that to 
come, independent of the merits and passion of Jesus 
Christ ; nevertheless, that through the merits of Christ 
the good works of a just man proceeding from grace, 
are so acceptable to God, that through his goodness and 
promise they are truly meritorious of eternal life. And 
this he has learned from the Apostle, 2 Tim. iv. 8. where 
he is taught, that there is a crown of justice, which our 
Lord, a just Judge, will render at the last day : not only 
to Saint Paul, but also to all those, thafshall have fought 
a good fight, and consummated their course, kept the 
faith, and loved his coming. Knowing therefore that at 
the day of judgment, he is to receive according to his 
works ; he endeavours by good works to make his voca- 



21 

tion and election sure, 2 Peter, i. 10. And in following 
this counsel, he thinks he no more offends against the 
fulness of the merits of Christ, or God's mercy, than the 
Apostle does in giving it, 

OF CONFESSION, 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes it part of his re^ 
ligion to make gods of men; foolishly thinking that these 
have power to forgive sins. And therefore as often as 
he finds his conscience oppressed with the guilt of his 
offences, he calls for one of his priests ; and having run 
over a catalogue of his sins, he asks of him pardon and 
forgiveness. And, what is most absurd of all, he is so 
stupid as to believe, that if his Ghostly Father, after he 
has heard all his villanies in his ear, does but pronounce 
three or four Latin words over his head, his sins are for- 
given him, although he had never any thoughts of amende 
ment, or intention to forsake his wickedness. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable in 
any religion to make gods of men. However, he firmly 
holds, that when Christ speaking to his Apostles said, 
John xx. 22. Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; whose sins you 
shall forgive, they are forgiven ; and whose sins you shall 
retain, they are retained ; he gave them, and their suc^ 
cessors, the bishops, and priests of the Catholic Church, 
authority to absolve any truly penitent sinner from his 
sins. And God having thus given them the ministry of 
reconciliation, and made them Christ's legates, 2 Cor, v, 
18, 19, 20. ChrisVs minister's, and the dispensers of the 
mysteries of Christ, 1 Cor. iv. and given them power 
that whosoever they loose on earth, shall be loosed in hea-. 
ven,Matt. xviii. 18. he undoubtedly believes, that who^ 
soever comes to them making a sincere and humble con- 
fession of his sins, with a true repentance and a firm pmv 
pose of amendment, and a hearty resolution of turning 
from his evil ways, may from them receive absolution, bv 
the authority given them from heaven ; and no doubt but 
God ratifies above the sentence pronounced in that tiir> v- 






22 

nal ; loosing in heaven whatsoever is thus loosed by them on 
earth. And that, whosoever comes without the due prer 
paration, without a repentance from the bottom of his 
heart, and real intention of forsaking his sins, receives no 
benefit by the absolution ; but adds sin to sin, by a high 
contempt of God's mercy, and abuse of his Sacraments. 

OF INDULGENCES. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes that his holy fa- 
ther the Pope can give him leave to commit what sins he 
pleases; especially, if he can malre him a present of a 
round sum of money, he never need doubt of indulgence 
or pardon for himself and his heirs for ever, for all sorts 
of crimes or wickedness, he, or any of his posterity, may 
have convenience of failing into ; and having this com- 
mission in his pocket, under the Pope's broad seal, he 
may be confident that Christ will confirm and stand to 
all that his Vicar upon earth has granted, and not call 
him to any account for any thing he has done, although 
he should chance to die without the least remorse of con- 
science, or repentance for his sins. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable to 
hold, that the Pope, or any other power in heaven or 
earth, can give him leave to commit any sins whatsoever ; 
or that for any sum of money he can obtain an indul- 
gence or pardon for sins that are to be committed by him, 
or his heirs, hereafter. He firmly believes that no sins 
can be forgiven, without a true and hearty repentance; 
but that still, there is a power in the Church of granting 
indulgences, by which, as he is taught in his catechism, 
nothing more is meant than a releasing, to such as are 
truly penitent, of the debt of temporal punishment which 
remained due on account of those sins which, as to the 
guilt and eternal punishment, had been already remitted 
by repentance and confession. For, we see in the case 
of King David, 2 Sam. xii. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, that the 
debt of the temporal punishment is not always remitted, 
when the guilt of the sin is remitted ; and as the church of 



23 

God from the beginning was ever convinced of tins truth, 
therefore, besides the hearty repentance and confession, 
which she insisted upon, in order for the discharge of the 
guilt of sin, she also required severe penances, sometimes 
of three, seven, ten years or more, for the discharge of 
the debt of the temporal punishment, due to divine jus- 
tice. Now the releasing or moderating, for just causes, 
of these penalties incurred by sin, is called an indulgence. 
And the power of granting such indulgences is visibly 
implied in the promise of the keys, and of binding and 
loosing made to the Pastors of the Church, St. Matt. xvi. 
19. And the exercise of this power was frequent in the 
primitive Church, and is even authorised by the example 
of St. Paul himself, who granted such an indulgence to 
the incestuous Corinthian, 2 Cor. ii. 10. forgiving, as he 
says, in the person of Christ; that is, by the power and 
authority he had received from him. Now, the good 
works usually required for the obtaining indulgences, 
are prayer, fasting, visiting churches, confession, com- 
munion, and alms deeds ; but what money there is given 
at any time on this account, concerns not at all the Pope's 
coffers, but is by every one given as they please, either 
to the poor, to the sick, to prisoners, &c. where they 
judge it most charity. As to the rest, if any abuses have 
been committed in granting or gaining indulgences, 
through the default of some particular persons ; these 
cannot in justice be charged upon the Church, to the 
prejudice of her faith and doctrine; especially, since she 
has been so careful in retrenching them; as may be seen 
by what was done in the council of Trent. Decreto de 
Indulgentiis. 

OF SATISFACTION. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes very injuriously 
of Christ's passion, being persuaded that his sufferings 
and death were not sufficiently satisfactory for our sins ; 
but that it is necessary for every one to make satisfac- 
tion for themselves. And for this end, after he has been 
at confession, the priest enjoins him a penance ; by the 



24 

performance of which, he is to satisfy for his offences : 
and thus confidently relying upon his own penitential 
works, he utterly evacuates Christ's passion : and though 
he professes himself a Christian, and that Christ is his 
Saviour ; yet by his little trusting to him, he seems to 
think him to be no better, than what his crucifix informs 
him, that is, a mere wooden one. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable to 
think injuriously of Christ's passion. Nevertheless he 
believes, that though condign satisfaction for the guilt 
of sin, and the pain eternal due to it, be proper only to 
Christ our Saviour ; yet that penitent sinners being re- 
deemed by Christ, and made his members, may in some 
measure satisfy by prayers, fasting, alms, &c. for the 
temporal pain, which by order of God's justice, sometimes 
remains due after the guilt, and the eternal pains are re- 
mitted. So that trusting in Christ as his Redeemer, yet 
he does not think that by Christ's sufferings every Chris- 
tian is discharged of his particular sufferings ; but that 
every one is to suffer something for himself, as St. Paul 
did, who by many tribulations, and by suffering in his 
own flesh, filled up that which was behind of the passions 
of Christ ; and this not only for himself but for the whole 
Church, Coloss. i. 24. and this he finds every where in 
Scripture, viz. people admonished of the greatness of 
their sins, doing penance in fasting, sackcloth and ashes, 
and by voluntary austerities, endeavouring to satisfy the 
divine justice. And these personal satisfactions, God 
has also sufficiently minded him of, in the punishments in- 
flicted on Moses, Aaron, David, and infinite others ; and 
even in the afflictions sent by God upon our own age, in 
plagues, wars, fires, persecutions, rebellions, and such like ; 
which few are so atheistical, but they confess to be sent 
from heaven for the just chastisement of our sins, and 
which we are to undergo, notwithstanding the infinite sa- 
tisfaction made by Christ, and without any undervaluing it. 
Now being thus convinced of some temporal punishments 
being due to his sins, he accepts of all tribulations, 
whether in body, name or estate, from wher ?j?naever 



25 

they come, and with others of his own choosing, offers 
them up to God for the discharging this debt ; still con- 
fessing that his offences deserve yet more. But these 
penitential works he is taught to be no otherwise satis- 
factory, than as joined and applied to that satisfaction 
which Jesus made upon the cross ; in virtue of which 
alone, all our good works find a grateful acceptance in 
God's sight. 

OF READING THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes it part of his duty, 
to speak irreverently of the Scripture ; to do what he is 
able, to lessen the repute of it, and bring it into disgrace. 
And for this end, he says it is obscure, full of ambiguous 
expressions, and not fit to be read by the vulgar, nor fit 
to be translated into vulgar languages ; and without re- 
spect to Christ or his Apostles, profanely teaches, that 
no ten books in the world have done so much mischief to 
Christianity as this one ; and under a vain pretence of 
preventing further inconveniences, endeavours to deprive 
all of this spiritual comfort, of this divine food, of this 
heavenly light; that so being kept in darkness, they may 
be also preserved in ignorance, and damned eternally. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable in 
any one to think, speak, or do any thing irreverently to- 
ward the Scripture ; or by any means whatsoever to 
bring it into disrepute or disgrace. He holds it in the 
highest veneration of all men living ; he professes it to be 
the pure oracles of God, and that we are rather bound 
to lose our lives than concur any way to its profanation. 
It is true, he does not think it fit to be read generally, by 
all, in the vulgar tongues : not for any disrespect to it ; 
but 1st. because he understands that private interpreta- 
tion is not proper for the Scripture, 2 Pet. i. 20. 2nd. 
because in the epistles of St. Paul, are certain things, 
hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable, 
wrest (as also the rest of the Scriptures) to their own per- 
dition, 2 Peter, iii. 16. 3d. because God hath given only 



26 

some to be Apostles, some Prophets, others Evangelists, 
and some Pastors and Teachers, Eph. iv. 11. 

For these reasons he is taught, that it is not conve- 
nient for the Scripture to be read indifferently by all 
men, but only by such as are humble, discreet and devout, 
and such as are willing to observe directions in the 
perusing this sacred volume; that is, to take notice of all 
godly histories, and imitable examples of humility, chas- 
tity, obedience, mercy to the poor, &c. and all such places 
as are apt to stir up the hatred of sin, fear of God's judg- 
ment, love of virtue, &c. and in all hard, obscure, and 
disputable points, to refer all to the arbitrament of the 
Church, to the judgment of those whom God hath ap- 
pointed Pastors and Teachers : never presuming to con- 
tend, controul, teach or talk of their own sense and fancy 
in deep questions of divinity, and high mysteries of faith ; 
but expecting the sense of these from the lips of the 
Priest, who shall keep knowledge, and from whose mouth 
they shall require the law, Mai. ii. 7. And this caution 
is used, lest the Scripture coming into the hands of a 
presuming sort of proud, curious, and contentious people, 
be abused and perverted ; who, making it their business 
to inquire into high and hidden secrets of God's counsels, 
and upon the presumption of T know not what spirit, im- 
mediately become teachers, comptrollers, and judges of 
doctors, Church, Scripture and all; and acknowledging 
no authority left by Christ, to which they are to submit ; 
under pretence of Scripture and God's word, make way 
for all sorts of profaneness, irreligion, and atheism. So 
that it is not for the preserving ignorance he allows a 
restraint upon the reading the Scriptures, but for the 
preventing a blind ignorant presumption; and that it 
may be done to edification and not to destruction, and 
without casting what is holy to dogs, or pearls to swine. 

OF THE SCRIPTURE AS A RULE OF FAITH. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes it his obligation 
to undervalue the Scripture, and take from it that au- 
thority, which Christ gave it. For whereas Christ left 



27 

this to the world, as the rule of faith, and as a sacred 
oracle, from whence all his followers might he instructed 
in the precepts of a good life, learn all the mysteries of 
their faith, and be resolved in all difficult and doubtful 
points of religion; he is taught flatly to deny all this ; and 
to believe that the Scripture is not capable of deciding 
any one point of controversy, or reconciling the different 
sentiments of men in religion : and thus he demeans him- 
self toward the word of God, in a manner most unbe- 
coming a Christian. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable to 
undervalue the Scripture, or to take from it the authority 
given it by Christ. He gives it all respect due to the 
word of God ; he owns it to be of greatest authority upon 
earth, and that it is capable of leading a man to all truth, 
when it is rightly understood. But to any one that mis- 
understands it, and takes it in any other sense than what 
was intended by the Holy Ghost, he believes it, to such 
a one, to be no Scripture, no word of God ; that to such 
a one, it is no rule of faith, nor judge of controversies; 
and that, what he thinks to be the doctrine of Christ, and 
command of heaven, is nothing but his own imagination 
and the suggestion of the devil. And since by the ex- 
perience of so many hundred heresies since our Saviour's 
time, all pretending to be grounded on Scripture, he finds 
that almost every text of the Bible, and even those that 
concern the most essential and fundamental points of the 
Christian Religion, have been interpreted several ways, 
and made to signify things contrary to one another ; and 
that, while thus contrary meanings are by several persons 
drawn from the same word, the Scripture is still silent, 
without discovering which of all those senses is that in- 
tended by the Holy Ghost, and agreeable to truth, and 
which are erroneous and antichristian : he concludes that 
the Scripture alone, without taking along witn it the in- 
terpretation of the Church, cannot be to every private 
person the whole rule of his faith. Not tk:~t there is any 
authority wanting on the Scripture side, but because vp 
private person cm be certain whether amongst all tf. , 



28 

several meanings every text is liable to, that which he 
understands it in, is the right or not. And without this 
certainty of truth, and security from error, he knows 
there is nothing capable of being a sufficient rule of his 
faith. 



OF THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes that his Church, 
which he calls Catholic, is above the Scripture, and pro- 
fanely allows to her an uncontrollable authority of being 
judge of the word of God; and being fondly abused into 
a distrust of the Scriptures, and that he can be certain 
of nothing, not even of the fundamentals of Christianity, 
from what is delivered in them, though they speak never 
so plainly, he is taught to rely wholly upon this Church, 
and not to believe one word the Scripture says, unless 
his Church says it too. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes that the Church 
is not above the Scripture, but only allows that order be- 
tween them, as is between the judge and the law ; and 
is no other than what generally every private member 
of the Reformation challenges to himself, as often as he 
pretends to decide any doubt of his own, or his neighbour, 
in religion, by interpreting the Scripture. Neither is he 
taught at all to distrust the Scripture, or not to rely on 
it ; but only to distrust his own private interpretation of 
it, and not to rely on his own judgment in the resolution 
of any doubt concerning faith or religion, though he can 
produce several texts in favour of his opinion. But in 
all such cases he is commanded to recur to the Church ; 
and, having learnt from her the true sense of all such 
texts, how they have been understood by the whole com- 
munity of Christians in all ages since the Apostles, and 
what has been their received doctrine, in such doubtful 
and difficult points, he is obliged to submit to this, and 
never presume on his own private sentiments, however 
seemingly grounded on reason and Scripture, to believe 
or preach any new doctrine opposite to the belief of the 



29 

Church; but as he receives from her the book, so also 
he receives from her the sense of the book, with a holy 
confidence, that she that did not cheat him in delivering 
a false book for the true one, will not cheat him in deliv- 
ering him a false and erroneous sense for the true one ; 
her authority, which is sufficient in the one, being not 
less in the other; and his own private judgment, which 
was insufficient in the one, that is in finding out the true 
Scripture, and discerning it from all other books, being 
as incapable and insufficient in the other, that is in cer- 
tainly discovering the meaning of the Holy Ghost, and 
avoiding all other heterodox and mistaken interpretations. 

OF TRADITION. 

The Papist, misrepresented , believes the Scripture to 
be imperfect ; and, for the supplying of what he thinks 
defective in it, he admits human ordinations and tradi- 
tions of men ; allowing equal authority to these as to the 
Scriptures themselves, thinking himself as much obliged 
to submit to these, and believes them with as divine a 
faith as he does whatsoever is written in the Bible, and 
confessedly spoken by the Author of all truth, God him- 
self. Neither will he admit of any one to be a member 
of his communion, although he undoubtedly believes 
every word that is written in the Scripture, unless he 
also assents to the traditions, and gives as great credit to 
them as to the word of God, although in that there is not 
the least footstep of them to be found. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes the Scripture 
not to be imperfect, nor to want human ordinations, or 
traditions of men, for the supplying any defects in it ; 
neither does he allow the same authority to these as to 
the word of God, or give them equal credit, or exact it 
from others who desire to be admitted into the commu- 
nion of his Church. He believes that no divine faith 
ought to be given any thing but what is of divine revela- 
tion, and that nothing is to have place in his creed but 
what was taught by Christ and his Apostles, and has 
c 2 



30 

been believed and taught in all ages by the Church of 
God, (the congregation of all true believers) and has been 
so delivered down to him through all ages. 

But now, whether that which has been so delivered 
down to him as the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, 
has been by word of mouth or writing, is altogether in- 
different to him, he being ready to follow, in this point, 
as in all others, the command of St. Paul, that is, to stand 
fast, and hold the traditions he has learned, whether by 
word or by epistle, 2 Thess. ii. 15 ; and to look upon any 
one as anathema that shall preach otherwise than as he 
has (thus) received, Gal. i. 9. So that, as he undoubt- 
edly holds the whole Bible to be the word of God, be- 
cause in all ages it has been so taught, preached, believed, 
and delivered successively by the faithful, although they 
are not, nor have at any time, been able to prove 
what they have thus taught and delivered, with one text 
of Scripture ; — in the like manner he is ready to receive 
and' believe all this same Congregation has, together 
with the Bible, in all ages successively, without interrup- 
tion, taught, preached, believed, and delivered as the 
doctrine of Christ and his Apostles ; Mind assent to it with 
divine faith, just as he does to the Bible, and esteems any 
one anathema who shall preach otherwise than he has 
thus received. 

OF COUNCILS. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes that the faith of 
his Church may receive new additions every day, and 
that he is not only obliged to believe w T hat Christ and 
his Apostles taught, but also every definition or decree 
of any general Council assembled by the Pope. So that 
as often as any thing is issued out by the authority of 
any of these Church parliaments, and ordered to be be- 
lieved, he thinks himself, under pain of damnation, im- 
mediately bound to receive it ; and, having added it to 
his creed, to assent to it with as firm, steadL st, and divine 
a faith, as if it had been commanded by Christ himself, 
and decreed in the Consistory of Heaven. 



31 

The Papist, truly represented, believes that the faith 
of his Church can receive no additions, and that he is 
obliged to believe nothing besides that which Christ and 
his Apostles taught ; and, if any thing contrary to this 
should be defined, and commanded to be believed, even 
by ten thousand Councils, he believes it damnable in any 
one to receive it, and by such decrees to make additions 
to his creed. 

However, he maintains the authority of General Coun- 
cils, lawfully assembled, whose business it is, not to coin 
new articles of faith, or devise fresh tenets; but only, as 
often as any point of received doctrine is impugned or 
called in question, "to debate the matter; and examine 
what has been the belief of all nations, who are there 
present, in their prelates, in that point ; and this being 
agreed on, to publish and make known to the world, 
which is the Catholic doctrine, left by Christ and his 
Apostles ; and which the new broached errors. And by 
this means to prevent the loss of an infinite number of 
souls, which might otherwise be deluded, and carried 
away after new inventions. And in this case he believes 
that he is obliged fb submit, and receive the decrees of 
such a Council ; the Pastors and Prelates there present, 
being by Christ and his Apostles appointed for the de- 
cision of such controversies; they having the care of the 
flock committed to them, over which the Holy Ghost has 
made them overseers to feed the Church of God, Acts xx. 
28. and to watch against those men who should arise 
from among themselves, speaking perverse things to draw 
disciples after them, ib. v. 33. And that he received 
command, as likewise the whole flock of Christ has, to 
obey their Prelates, and to be subject to them, who watch, 
and are to render an account for their souls, Heb. xiii. 17. 
with an assurance, that, he that heareth them, heareth 
Christ; and he that despiseth them, despiseth Christ) 
Luke x. 16. 

OF INFALLIBILITY IN THE CHURCH. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes that the Pastors 
and Prelates of his Church are infallible, and that like to 



32 

many divine oracles or petty deities, they are exempt 
from error, and cannot deceive, or be deceived ; but this 
especially when they are met together in a General 
Council. It being a main part of his faith, that then they 
are secure from all mistakes ; and that it is as impossible 
for them, how ignorant, or wicked soever, to incline 
either to the right hand or to the left, in any of their 
definitions and decrees, as it is for God to become the 
author of lies. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes that the Pas- 
tors and Prelates of his Church are fallible; that there is 
none of them, but may fall into errors and heresies, and 
consequently liable to be deceived. But that the whole 
Church can fall or be deceived in any one point of faith, 
this he believes impossible ; knowing it to be built on 
better promises, such as secure her from all error, and 
danger of prevarication. Her foundation being laid by 
Christ, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, 
Matt. xvi. 1 8. The power that protects her being Christ 
himself; Behold I am with you all 'days, Matt, xxviii. 20. 
The spirit that guides and teaches her, being the Com- 
forter, the Holy Ghost, who shall teach her all things, 
and suggest to her all things that Christ has said to her, 
John xiv. 26. The time that she is to be thus protected, 
taught and assisted, being .,pot only while the Apostles 
lived, or for the first three r four, or five hundred years 
next, but for ever, to the end of the world ; " behold I am 
with you all the days, even unto the end of the world," 
Matt, xxviii. 20. " He will give you another Paraclete, 
that he may abide with you for ever," John xiv. 10. 17. 
the Spirit of truth. And the thing that she is to be thus 
taught to the end of the world being all truth; "He shall 
guide you into all truth," John xvi. 13. 

Now, being assured by these promises, that the Church 
of Christ shall be taught all truth by the special assist- 
ance of the Holy Ghost, to the end of the world; he has 
faith to believe, that Christ will make his words good ; 
and that his Church shall never fail, nor be corrupted 
with antichristian doctrine, nor be the mistress of errors- 



33 

but shall be taught all truth, and shall teach all truth, to 
the consummation of the world; and that "whosoever 
hears her, hears Christ ; and whosoever despises her, 
despiseth Christ, and ought to be esteemed as a heathen 
or a publican," Matt, xviii. 17. The like assistance of 
the Holy Ghost, he believes to be in all General Coun- 
cils, which is the Church representative, as the parliament 
is the representative of the nation ; by which they are 
especially protected from all error in all definitions and 
declarations in matters of faith. So that what the Apos- 
tles pronounced concerning the result of their council, 
Acts xv. 28. it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and 
to us, he does not doubt may be prefixed to all the de- 
terminations in point of faith, resolved on by any General 
Council lawfully assembled since that time, or to be held 
to the world's end ; the assistance being to extend as far 
as the promise. 

And, though it is possible that several of the Prelates 
and Pastors in such an assembly, as also many others in 
communion with the Church of Christ, should at other 
times, either through pride or ignorance, prevaricate, 
make innovations in faith, teach erroneous doctrines, and 
endeavour to draw numbers after them, — yet he is taught 
that this does not at all argue a fallibility in the Church, 
nor prejudice her faith, but only the persons who thus 
unhappily fall into these errors, and cut themselves off 
from being members of the mystical body of Christ upon 
earth: whilst the belief of the Church remains pure and 
untainted, and experiences the truth of what St. Paul 
foretold, that " grievous wolves shall enter in among you, 
not sparing the flock; also of your own selves shall men 
arise speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples 
after them," Acts xx. 29. 30. which, as it proved true 
even in the Apostles' time, by the fall of Nicholas and 
several others, so it has been verified in all ages since by 
turbulent and presuming spirits, broaching new doctrines, 
separations and schisms ; but this without casting any 
more aspersion on the Church or congregation of the 
Faithful, than the fall of Judas did on the Apostles, or 
the rebellion of Lucifer on the hierarchy of the Angels; 



34 

neither does it reflect at all on the Church's authority, 
or make the truth of her doctrine questionable to him, 
that many of her members and Prelates have been, or 
are enormous sinners : because he is convinced that the 
promises of God's continual and uninterrupted assistance 
to his Church, are not to be made void by the wicked- 
ness of particular men, in how great dignities soever. 

OF THE POPE. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes the Pope to be 
his great God, and to be far above all Angels. That 
Christ is no longer head of the Church, but that this holy 
Father hath taken his place ; and that whatsoever he 
orders, decrees or commands, is to be received by his 
flock, with the same respect, submission, and awe, as if 
Christ had spoken it by his own mouth. For that his 
holiness, having once received the triple crown on his 
head, is now no longer liable to error, but is infallible, 
and can do nothing amiss." 

The Papist, truly represented, believes the Pope to be 
none of his God, neither great nor little ; that he is not 
above the Angels, but only a man. He believes that 
Christ, as he is Supreme Master, Governor, and Lord 
of all created things, so also of his Church, of which he 
acknowledges him to be the Founder and Head. But 
as, notwithstanding this lordship and headship of Christ 
over all things, every father of a family owns himself to 
be master of it under Christ ; and every king is confessed 
supreme lord and governor of his dominions under God ; 
so also, he believes, that there is a Pastor, Governor and 
head of Christ's Church, under Christ, to wit, the Pope, 
or Bishop of Rome, who is the successor of St. Peter, to 
whom Christ committed the care of his flock ; and who 
hath been followed now by a visible succession of about 
two hundred and fifty bishops, acknowledged as such in 
all ages by the Christian world. And now believing 
the Pope to enjoy this dignity, he looks upon himself 
as obliged to show him that respect, submission, and obe- 
dience, which is due to his place 3 a thing nobody can in 



35 

reason or conscience deny to any one in rule, or that has 
any superiority. Neither does he make any doubt, but 
God assists those who have this high charge with a par- 
ticular helping grace with respect to their office and 
function, for the benefit of the whole flock; though he is 
not obliged to believe them infallible, this being a point 
never defined by the Church, much less impeccable. 

OF DISPENSATIONS. 

The Papist, misrepresented ', believes that the Pope has 
aathority to dispense with the laws of God, and absolve 
any one from the obligation of keeping the Command- 
ments. So that, if he has but his holy father's leave, he 
may confidently dissemble, lie, and forswear himself in 
all whatsoever he pleases, and never be in danger of be- 
ing called to an account at the last day ; especially if his 
lying and forswearing was for the common good of the 
Church ; there being then a sure reward prepared for 
him in heaven, as a recompense for his good intentions 
and heroic achievments. And if at any time he chance 
to be caught in the management of any of these public 
Church concerns, and being obnoxious to penal laws 
should have sentence of death passed on him ; he has 
liberty at his last hour, on the scaffold or ladder, to make 
a public detestation of all such crimes ; to make protesta- 
tion of his innocence; to call God to witness that he dies 
unjustly ; and that as he is immediately to appear before 
the Supreme Judge, he knows no more of any such de- 
signs, and is as clear from the guilt of them as the child 
unborn. And this though the evidence against him be 
as clear as noon day. though the jury be never so impar- 
tial, and the judge never so conscientious. For that he 
having taken the Sacrament and oath of secrecy, and 
received absolution, or a dispensation from the Pope, 
may then he, swear, forswear, and .protest all that he 
pleases without scruple, with a good conscience, Chris- 
tian like, holily, and canonically. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes that the Pope 
has no authority to dispense with the laws of God ■ and 



36 

that there is no power upon earth can absolve any one 
from the obligation of keeping the Commandments ; or 
give leave to lie or forswear ; or make, that the breaking 
of any of the least divine precepts shall not be accounta- 
ble for at the day of judgment. He is taught by his 
Church in all books of directions, in all catechisms, in all 
sermons, that every lie is a sin ; that to call God to wit- 
ness to an untruth is damnable ; that it ought not to be 
done to save the whole world ; that whosoever does it, 
either for his own personal account, or for the interest 
of the Church or Pope, or whatsoever else, must of ne- 
cessity answer for it at the last day, and expect his por- 
tion with the devil and his angels, if unrepented of; and 
that no one can give leave for lying, perjury, or commit- 
ting any sin, or even pretend to it, unless it be the devil 
himself, or some devilish ministers of his, such as he de- 
tests in Ins heart, and utterly abominates. And in con- 
sequence of this, he believes that whosoever at the hour 
of his death denies any crime of which he is guilty, and 
swears himself to be innocent when he is not so, can 
have no hope of mercy, but, departing out of this world 
an enemy to God and the truth, and with a lie in his 
mouth, can expect no reward but from the father of lies. 
And this, whatsoever his crime w T as, whether incurred 
by an undertaking for the mother Church or not ; and 
whatsoever his pretences for the denial of the truth were, 
whether absolutions, dispensations, the Sacrament, or 
oath of secrecy, or whatsoever else, nothing of these be- 
ing capable of excusing him in lies or perjury, or making 
them to be innocent, and not displeasing to God. 

Nor indeed did he ever hear of these so much talked 
of dispensations and absolutions, from any Priests of his 
Church, either in sermons or confessions ; he never read 
of them in his books and catechism; he never saw the 
practice of them in any of his communion ; it having been 
their custom, ever since oaths were first devised against , 
them, rather to suffer the loss of their goods, banishments, 
imprisonments, torments, and death itself, than forswear ' : 
themselves, or protest the least untruth. And it is not 
out of the memory of man, that several might have saved 



37 

their estates and lives too, would they have subscribed, 
and owned but one lie, and yet refused it ; choosing rather 
to die infamously, than prejudice their conscience with 
an untruth. So that it seems a great mystery to him, 
that those of his profession should have leave to he and 
forswear themselves at pleasure, and yet that they should 
need nothing else but lying and perjury for the quiet 
enjoyment of their estates, for the saving their lives, for 
the obtaining places of highest command and dignity ; 
such as would be extraordinarily advantageous for their 
cause, and the interest of their Church. And yet that 
they should generally choose rather to forego all these so 
considerable conveniences, than once he or forswear 
themselves. And is it not another great mystery, that 
these dispensations for lying and swearing should be ac- 
cording to the received doctrine of his Church, and yet 
that he, or any of Ins communion were never instructed 
nor informed of any such diabolical point ? Nay, had 
never come to the knowledge of it, had it not been for 
the information received from some zealous adversaries, 
such as relate either upon trust, or else such as have re- 
ceived a dispensation of lying from the devil, that they 
might charge the like doctrine on the Church of Rome 
and the Pope. 

OF THE DEPOSING TOWER. 

The Papist, misrepresented , believes that the Pope has 
authority to dispense with his allegiance to his Prince ; 
and that he needs no longer to be a loyal subject, and 
maintain the rights, priv3eges and authority of his King, 
than the Pope will give him leave. And that if this 
mighty Father should think fit to thunder out an excom- 
munication against him, then he shall be the best subject 
and most Christian, that shall take up arms against him, 
and make him a sacrifice to Rome : so that there can be 
no greater danger to a king, than to have Popish sub- 
jects, he holding his life among them only at the Pope's 
pleasure. 



38 

If is no part of the faith of the Papist, truly represent- 
ed, to believe that the Pope has authority to dispense 
with his allegiance to his Sovereign, or that he can de- 
pose Princes upon any account whatsoever ; or give leave 
to their subjects to take up arms against them, and en- 
deavour their ruin. He knows that the deposing power 
has been maintained by some divines of his Church, and 
that it is in their opinion annexed to the papal chair. He 
knows likewise that some Popes have endeavoured to act 
according to this power, but he also knows that this doc- 
trine is so far from being looked upon as an article of the 
catholic faith, that it is as earnestly opposed by the 
French Papists, as it is by English Protestants. And as 
for any danger arising to kings from having Popish sub- 
jects, it is very well known that Princes in Popish coun- 
tries sit as safe on their thrones, and enjoy as much 
peace and security, as any other Princes whatsoever ; 
and that the Papists here in England can give as good 
proofs of their loyalty, and that to Protestant Kings, as 
the best of those that clamour so loud against them. 



OF COMMUNION IN ONE KIND. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes that he is no 
longer obliged to obey Christ's commands, than his 
Church will give him leave ; and that therefore, though 
Christ instituted the Sacrament under both kinds, and 
commanded it to be received so by all ; yet he thinks it not 
necessary, for any one to do so now but Priests ; because 
his Church, forsooth, hath forbidden the cup to the laity ; 
and put a stop to the precept of Christ, Drink ye all of 
this, Matt xxvi. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes he is obliged to 
obey all the commands of Christ ; and that neither his 
Church nor any other power upon earth can limit, alter, 
or annul any precept of divine institution, contrary to the 
intention of the lawgiver. Neither is the denial of the 
cup to the laity, a practice any ways opposite to this his 
belief; he being taught, that though Christ instituted 



39 

the blessed sacrament under both kinds, and so delivered 
it to his Apostles, who only were then present, and 
whom he then made Priests ; yet he gave no command 
that it should be received by all the faithful, but left this 
indifferent, as it is evident from his own words, where he 
attributes the obtaining life everlasting, which is the end 
of the institution, no less to the receiving in one kind, 
than to the receiving under both kinds ; as when he says, 
" If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. He 
that eats me, even he shall live by me. He that eats of 
this bread shall live for ever," John vi. 51. 57, 58. And 
a curious reader may find as many texts for thus receiv- 
ing under one kind, as for the other. And St. Augus- 
tine was of opinion, that Christ himself administered the 
Sacrament to some of his' disciples under one kind only, 
viz, to those going to Emmaus, Luke xxiv. 30. And 
that the Apostles afterward did often practice the like, 
when they assembled to break bread, Acts ii. &c. which 
place, he explains of the Sacrament, Aug, L, Cons, 
Evang, chap. 49. And that it was the custom of the 
primitive Christians, to give it under one kind to child- 
ren, to the sick, and to the faithful in the time of perse- 
cution; and that men on a journey used to carry it with 
them, is attested both by ancient writers, and modern 
historians. Nay, he finds that it was the practice of the 
Church, to communicate under one kind only, or else 
under both, as every one thought good, for the first four 
hundred years after Christ ; and that the first precept of 
receiving under both kinds, was given to the faithful by 
Pope Leo I, in the year 443, and confirmed by Pope Ge- 
lasius in 490, not for the correcting any abuse that had 
crept into the Church, but for the discovering the Ma- 
nichees, who being of opinion, that Christ had no true 
blood, and that wine was the gall of the devil, used to 
lurk among the Christians, and receiving under the form 
of bread only, as the rest did, remained undistinguished, 
till by this obligation of all receiving the cup, which they 
judged unlawful and abominable, they were detected. 

And now, if a thing, till that time indifferent, was for 
these motives determined by Ecclesiastical precept, and 



40 . 

so observed for some hundred years, without scruple or 
questioning the authority ; why should he doubt to sub- 
mit to the same authority, when, upon different motives 
and circumstances, they issue forth another precept ? 
Few doubt of this in the matter of eating strangled meat 
and blood ; which, though forbid by the Apostles, Acts 
xv. and so at that time unlawful, is now, and upon other 
circumstances, become a thing indifferent, and like other 
things. And why then should he scruple in this, espe- 
cially since there is no injury done, nor is he defrauded 
of any thing? For believing the real presence of Christ 
in the sacrament, he consequently believes whole and 
living Jesus to be entirely contained under either species ; 
and that receiving one kind, he is truly a partaker of the 
whole sacrament, and not deprived of either the body or 
blood of Christ. 

OF THE MASS. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes an insufficiency 
in the Sacrifice made by Christ upon the Cross ; and that 
his death will little avail us in order to our redemption, 
unless we, by daily sacrificing him to his Father, perfect 
what he began. And therefore, little taking notice of 
St. Paul's words to the Hebrews, Chap. x. 14. where 
he says, that Christ our High Priest, by one oblation, 
hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified ; he 
thinks he shall never be sanctified, but by the offering 
made by his Mass-Priests upon their Altars, when they 
say Mass. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes that the Sacri- 
fice made by Christ upon the Cross was altogether suf- 
ficient ; that by it he saved and redeemed us, paying the 
debt of sin, and satisfying the infinite justice of his Fa- 
ther. That by it he procured for us all means for our 
salvation; all graces in order to faith and good works, all 
the sacraments, and which of all things is most honoura- 
ble -to God, the offering of a sacrifice. But as Christ's 
worshipping of God, Christ's fasting, Christ's praying 



41 

•and suffering for us, does not hinder or evacuate our 
worshipping of God, our fasting, our praying for our- 
selves ; so neither did his sacrifice hinder or evacuate all 
sacrifices for ever. And, as he instituted fasting, pray- 
ing and suffering, for his followers, that by so doing, they 
might apply what he did to themselves ; so also he insti- 
tuted a Sacrifice : that by it they might apply the merits 
of his sacrifice, and make it beneficial to their souls. 

So that, though he firmly believes, that Christ offered 
sacrifice for our redemption, and by one holy offering, 
spoken of by St. Paul, perfected by way of redemption 
the sanctification of all those that are sanctified ; yet he 
also believes, that to receive the benefit of this offering, 
we must also do our parts, by our good works concurring 
with Christ, and in some manner purifying ourselves, 1 
John hi. 3. and therefore not omit the best of all works, 
which is sacrifice ; which our Saviour Jesus Christ insti- 
tuted at his last supper, when leaving unto us his Body 
and Blood, under two distinct species of bread and wine, 
he bequeathed as a legacy to his Apostles, not only a 
sacrament, but also a sacrifice ; a commemorative sacri- 
fice, lively representing in an unbloody manner, the 
bloody sacrifice which was offered for us upon the Cross ; 
and by a distinction of the symbols, distinctly showing 
forth his (Christ's) death until he come. This he gave 
in charge to his Apostles, as to the first and chief Priests 
of the New Testament, and to their successors, to offer ; 
commanding them to do th© same thing he had there done 
at his last supper, in commemoration of him. And this 
is the oblation, or sacrifice of the Mass, which has been 
observed, performed, frequented by the faithful in all 
ages, attested by the general consent of all antiquity, 
universal tradition, and the practice of the whole Church 
mentioned and allowed by all the fathers Greek and Latin, 
and never called into question but of late years, being 
that pure offering which the prophet Malachi foretold 
should be offered among the Gentiles in everyplace, Mai. 
i. 1 1 . as this text was ever understood by the ancient 
Fathers. 



42 

OF PURGATORY. 

The Papist, misrepresented, believes contrary to all 
reason, to the word of God, and to all antiquity, that be- 
sides heaven and hell, there is a third place, which his 
Church is pleased to call Purgatory ; a place intended 
purely for those of his communion, where they may easily 
have admittance after this life, without danger of failing 
into Hell ; for that though hell was designed first for the 
punishment of sinners ; yet, that now, since the blessed 
discovery of purgatory, hell may easily be skipped over, 
and an eternal damnation avoided, for an exchange of 
some short penalty undergone in this Pope's prison. 

The Papist, truly represented, believes it damnable to 
admit of any thing for faith that is contrary to reason, 
the word of God, and all antiquity : but that the being 
of a third place, called Purgatory, is so far from being 
contrary to all, or any of these, that it is attested, con- 
firmed, and established by them all. It is expressly 
taught in the second of the Machabees, c. xii. where mo- 
ney was sent to Jerusalem, for sacrifice to be offered for 
the slain, and it is recommended as holy and wholesome 
to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their 
sins. Now these two books of Machabees were cer tainly 
held in great veneration by all antiquity : and as St. 
Augustine informs us, L. xviii. de civ. Dei, were then 
accounted canonical by the Church. The being also of 
a third place is plainly intimated by our Saviour, Matth. 
xii. 12. where he says, whosoever speaks against the Holy 
Ghost, it shall not. be forgiven him, neither in this world, 
neither in the world to come. By which words Christ 
evidently supposes that though these shall not, yet some 
sins are forgiven in the world to come ; which, since it 
cannot be in heaven where no sin can enter, nor in hell, 
where there is no remission ; it must necessarily be in 
some middle state ; and in this sense it was understood 
by St. Augustine above thirteen hundred years ago. 
Civ. Dei. 1. 21. c. 13, & 24. & lib. cont. Julian, I. 15. 
So also by St. Gregory the Great, I 4. Dial c. 39. In 



43 

he same manner does St. Augustine understand those 
words of St. Paul, 1 Cor. iii. 15. He himself shall be 
saved : yet so as by fire. Where he thinks him to speak 
of a purging fire, Aug. in Psal. 37. So the same Fa- 
ther understands that prison of which St. Peter speaks, 
1 Pet. iii. 19. to be someplace of temporal chastisement, 
Aug. Ep. 99. And if Ihis great Doctor of the Church 
in those purer times, found so often in the Bible, a place 
of pains, after this life, from whence there was release; 
how can any one say without presumption, that the being 
of a third place is contrary to the word of God ? Neither 
can the antiquity of this doctrine be more justly called 
in question, of which is found so early mention, not only 
by this Holy Father, but by divers others his predeces- 
sors, who came not long after the Apostles, and were the 
best witnesses of their doctrine, See Acts SS. Perpet. 
& Felicit. mentioned and approved by St. Augustine, I. 
i. de Anima «$- ejus Orig. c. 10. I. 3. c. 9. & I, de Mona- 
gamia, St. Cyprian. Ep. 66. adder. Arnobius L 4. contra 
gen. &c. &c. &c. And as for the reasonableness of this 
tenet, his reason convinces him, 1st. That every sin, ho-w 
slight soever, though no more than an idle word, as it is 
an offence to God, deserves punishment from' him, and 
will be punished by him hereafter, if not cancelled by 
repentance here. 2d. That such small sins do not de- 
serve eternal punishment. 3d. That few depart this life 
so pure as to be wholly exempt from spots of this nature, 
and from every kind of debt due to God's justice. 4th. 
Therefore that few will escape without suffering some- 
thing from his justice for such debts which they have 
carried with them out of this world ; according to that 
rule of divine justice, by which he treats every soul here- 
after, according to their works, and according to the 
state in which he finds them in death. Thus his reason 
convinces him that there must be some third place ; for, 
since the infinite goodness of God can admit nothing into 
heaven which is not clean, and pure from all sin both 
great and small, and his infinite justice can permit none 
to receive the reward of bliss, who as yet are not out of 
debt, but have something in justice to suffer; there must 



44 

of necessity be some place or state, where souls departed 
this life, pardoned as to the eternal gulit or pain, yet ob- 
noxious to some temporal penalty, or with the guilt of 
some venial faults, are purged and purified before their 
admittance into heaven. And this is what he is taught 
concerning Purgatory; which, though he knows not 
where it is, of what nature the pains are, or how Jong 
each soul is detained there; yet he believes that those 
that are in this place, being the living members of Jesus 
Christ, are relieved by the prayers of their fellow mem- 
bers here on earth, as also by alms and masses offered up 
to God for their souls. And for such as have no rela- 
tions or friends to pray for them, or give alms, or procure 
masses for their relief, they are not neglected by the 
Church, which makes a general commemoration of all 
the faithful departed in every nmss, and in every one of 
the canonical hours of the divine office. 



OF PRAYING IN AN UNKNOWN TONGUE. 

The Papist, misrepresented, is counselled by his Church 
to be present at sermons, but never permitted to hear any 
he is able to understand, they being all delivered in an 
unknown tongue. He is taught to pray, but it must be 
in Latin. He is commanded to assist at the Church 
sendee and to hear mass, but it must be without under- 
standing a word ; it being all performed in a language, 
of which he is altogether ignorant ; and thus he is misera- 
bly deprived of all the comfortable benefits of Christian- 
ity, hearing, but without understanding ; praying, but 
without reaping fruit ;. assisting at public assemblies, but 
like a stock or stone, without feeling, or the least sense 
of devotion. 

The Papist, truly represented, is counselled by his 
Church to be present at sermons, such as he is able to 
understand, they being always delivered in the vulgar 
language of every country ; in France, French ; in Spain, 
Spanish; in Italy, Italian ; in England, English. They 
being purely intended for the good instruction of the 



45 

congregation present. He is taught to pray, and always 
provided with such books of devotion as he is capable of 
understanding, every nation being well furnished with 
such helps extant in the language proper to the country. 
He is commanded to assist at the Church service, and to 
hear Mass ; and in this he is instructed, not so much to 
understand the words, as to know what is done. For 
the Mass being a sacrifice, wherein is daily commemo- 
rated the death and passion of Christ, by an oblation, 
made by the priest, of the body and blood of the imma- 
culate Lamb under the symbols of bread and wine, ac- 
cording to his own institution; it is not so much the 
business of the congregation present, to employ their 
ears in attending to the words, as their hearts, in con- 
templation of the divine mysteries, by raising up fervent 
affection of love, thanksgiving, sorrow for sins, resolu- 
tions of amendment, &c. That thus having their heart 
and intention united with the Priest's they may be par- 
takers of his prayers, and of the sacrifice he is then offer- 
ing ; than which he believes nothing is more acceptable 
to God, or beneficial to true believers. And for the rais- 
ing of these affections in his soul, and filling his heart 
with love and devotion, he thinks, in this case, there is 
little need of words ; a true faith, without these, is all 
sufficient. 

Who could have refrained from bursting forth into 
tears of love and thanksgiving, if he had been present 
while our Saviour was tied to the pillar, scourged and 
tormented, though he opened not his mouth to the by- 
standers, nor spoke a word ? Who would have needed 
a sermon to have been filled with grief and compassion, 
if he had seen his Saviour exposed to the scorn of the 
Jews, when he was made a bloody spectacle by Pilate, 
with Eccehomo, Lo the man! Who could have stood 
cold and senseless, upon Mount Calvary, under the cross, 
when his Redeemer was hanging on it, though he had 
not heard or understood a word that he spoke ? 

Does any one think those holy women, who followed 
their Lord in these sad passages, and were witnesses of 
his sufferings, wanted holy affections in their souls, be- 



46 

cause he spoke not; or were they scandalized at his 
silence/ Was not their faith in him that suffered, by 
which they believed him to be Christ Jesus, true God 
and man, laying down his life for the redemption of man, 
sufficient to excite in their souls all the passions due 
from a sinful creature to his bleeding Redeemer, to his 
crucified Jesus ? The like faith also is sufficient to fill 
him with devotion, when he is present at the holy sacri- 
fice of the Mass; for believing that Christ is there really 
present before him, under the species of bread and wine, 
and that he that lies upon the altar, is the Lamb of God 
that takes away the sins of the world ; what need of more 
to quicken in his soul all the affections of a devout lover? 
Can he behold his Redeemer before him, and not break 
forth into love and thanksgiving? Can he see him that 
gives sight to the blind, health to the sick, and life to 
the dead, and yet stand still, senseless and unmoved, 
without putting up any petition to him, without asking 
any thing for his blind, sick, and sinful soul ? Can he 
believe that he that gave his life for the world and died 
for our sins, is there before him, and not be touched with 
sorrow and contrition for his offences ? Can he see com- 
memorated every doleful passage of his Saviour's suffer- 
ing, in the several mysteries of the mass, and yet not be 
filled with grief and compassion ? Is not Jesus welcome 
to devout souls, although he come in silence ? Is not 
the presence of Christ a more forcible motive to a Chris- 
tian, than any human words could be? And if he must 
needs have words, let him behold with the eye of faith 
the gaping wounds of his Redeemer, and see if those 
speak nothing to his soul ? If they do not, it is because 
he wants faith. 

It nothing, therefore, concerns his devotion that the 
Mass is said in Latin, if the Church has'ordered it thus, 
so to preserve unity, as in faith, so in the external wor- 
ship of God ; and to prevent alterations and changes 
which it would be exposed to if in vulgar languages ; and 
for other good reasons ; what is that to him ? He should 
receive but little advantage, if it were in his mother tongue. 
For, besides that the greatest part is said in so low a 



47 

voice that it is not possible he should hear it ; the words 
do not belong to him, but only to the priest's office ; his 
obligation is, to accompany the priest in prayer and spirit, 
to be joint-offerer with him, to contemplate the myste- 
ries there represented, and to excite in his soul devotions 
according to the exigency of every passage ; according 
to the directions he finds in his English prayer-books, of 
which there are extant a great variety, set forth for the 
help of the ignorant; by which they are taught the mean- 
ing of every part and ceremony of the Mass, and how to 
apply their devotions accordingly. And if at any time 
he be present at other public devotions which are per- 
formed in Latin ; or should say any private prayers, or 
sing a hymn in the same language, which he understands 
not; yet is he taught that this might be done, with great 
benefit to his soul and the acceptance of God, if on these 
occasions he does but endeavour to raise his thoughts to 
heaven, and fix his heart upon his Maker. For that God 
does not respect the language of the lips, but of the 
heart ; does not attend the motion of the tongue, but of 
the mind ; and if these be but directed to him in thanks- 
giving, in praising, or petitioning, in humiliation, in con- 
trition, and such like acts, as circumstances require, he 
need not doubt but that God accepts his prayers and de- 
votions. It being an undeniable thing, that to say pray- 
ers well and devoutly, it is not necessary to have atten- 
tion on the words, or on the sense of the prayers, but 
rather purely on God. Of these three attentions, this 
last being approved by all, as of greatest perfection, and 
most pleasing to God. And this he can have, whether 
he understands the words or not. It being very usual 
and easy for a petitioner to accompany his petition with 
an earnest desire of obtaining his suit, though the lan- 
guage in which it is worded, be unknown to him. 

OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT. 

The Papist, misrepresented, is kept in ignorance, as to 
an essential part of his duty toward God ; never being 
permitted to know the Commandments, but by halves. 



48 

For in the books delivered to him for his instruction, such 
as catechisms and manuals, the second Commandment is 
wholly left out ; and he by this means is taught to fall 
into all sorts of superstitious worship, and downright 
idolatry. 

The Papist, truly represented, is instructed in his 
whole duty toward God, and most especially in the ten 
Commandments. He is taught to understand them al] 
and every one; that there is an obligation of observing 
them, under pain of eternal damnation ; and that whoso- 
ever breaks any one of them, loses the favour of God, 
and as certainly hazards the loss of his soul, as if he 
broke them all. And though in some short catechisms 
in which the whole Christian doctrine is delivered in the 
most compendious and easy method, in condescendence 
to weak memories, and low capacities, the second Com- 
mandment, as it is reckoned by some, be omitted ; yet it 
is to be seen at length in other catechisms, manuals, and 
doctrinal books, to be met with every where in great 
plenty. And if any one should chance not to see any of 
these, yet would he be out of all danger of falling into 
any superstitious worship or idolatry, for that having 
read his first Commandment, " Thou shalt have no other 
Gods before me ;" he is taught by this, that he is com- 
manded to love, serve, adore, and worship one only true, 
living and eternal God, and no more ; that it is forbidden 
him to worship any creature for a God, or give it the 
honour due to God ; and that whosoever worships any 
idols, images, pictures, or graven thing, whatsoever the 
object be, whether in heaven above, in the earth beneath, 
or in the w T aters under the earth, for God, breaks the 
Commandment by committing idolatry, and stands guilty 
of an inexcusable and most damnable sin. 

Now, having been taught that this is the intent of the 
first precept of the decalogue, he thinks there can be but 
little danger of his becoming superstitious in his worship, 
or an idolater, for want of the second ; there being nothing 
in this, but what he is fully and expressly instructed in, 
by having learned the first ; it being rather an explica- 



49 

tion of this, than any new and distinct precept ; and for 
this reason he finds them in his books, put together as 
one, or rather as the first Commandment, with its expli- 
cation; by which means it comes about, that there are 
only three in the first table, teaching him his duty to- 
ward God, and seven in the latter, concerning his duty 
toward his neighbour ; which is the division assigned by 
St. Augustine. And though St. Jerome observes not 
this method, but divides them into four and six ; yet there 
being no direction in Scripture concerning the number 
of Commandments to be assigned to each table ; nor to 
let us know which is the second, which the third Com- 
mandment, or which the last ; he is taught that it is but 
an unnecessary trouble to concern himself about the 
number of them, or division, whereas his whole business 
'ought to be, the observance of them in his life and con- 
versation. 



OF MENTAL RESERVATIONS. 

The Papist, misrepresented, is taught to keep no faith 
with any that are reputed heretics by his Church ; and 
that whatsoever promise he has made, though ever so 
positive and firm, with this sort of people, he may lawfully 
break, cheat, and cozen them without any scruple. And 
though he must not do this by downright lying and tell- 
ing untruths ; for that would be a sin ; yet he may make 
use of any indirect ways, such as dissimulation, equivo- 
cations, and mental reservations, and by this means draw 
them into snares; and this without fear of offending God, 
who is well pleased with these kind of pious crafts, and 
allows of these holy cheats. 

The Papist, truly represented, is taught to keep faith 
with all sorts of people, of whatsoever judgment or per- 
suasion they may be, whether in communion with his 
Church or not; he is taught to stand to his word, and 
observe his promise given, or made to any whatsoever ; 
and that he cannot cheat or cozen, whether by dissem- 
bling, equivocations, or mental reservations, without de 



5(5 

fiance of his own conscience, and the violation of God'tf 
law. This is the instruction he receives from the pulpit, 
the confessionary, and his books of direction, and nothing 
is more inculcated in his Church than sincerity and truth. 
But as to the doctrine and practice of equivocations and 
mental reservations, so far from being approved by his 
Church, he finds it expressly censured by Pope Innocent 
XT. in a decree issued forth, March 2, 1679, prohibiting 
the teaching or maintaining of it, under pain of excom- 
munication. He is taught therefore to speak plainly and 
sincerely, without any such like artifices, which cannot 
but be very injurious to all society, and displeasing to the 
First Truth. And now, if any authors in communion 
with this Church, be produced as patrons and abettors 
of these mental juggles, let them hold up their hands, 
and answer for themselves ; their Church has approved 
of no such doctrine, and is no more to be charged with 
their particular opinions, than with the un exemplary lives 
of her other members, whose irregularities are not at all 
derived from their religion, but from following their own 
corrupt inclinations, and giving way to the temptations 
of their enemy. 

OF A DEATH-BED REPENTANCE. 

The Papist, misrepresented , is bred up in a total ne- 
glect of the service of God, and of all virtue and devotion, 
while he is well, and in good health, upon presumption 
of a death-bed repentance, and a confidence that all his 
sins will be certainly forgiven, if he can but once say, 
" Lord have mercy upon me," at the last hour. And it 
is a sufficient encouragement to him to rely wholly upon 
this, to see that there is no such profligate villain, none 
that has lived, though to the height of wickedness and 
debauchery, in his communion ; but at his death shall be 
assisted by a priest, and shall receive an absolution from 
all his sins, with an absolute promise of being soon ad- 
mitted to bliss, and reigning with Christ, if he can but 
once say he is sorry, or if his voice fail him, signify as 
much by a nod of his head, or the motion of a finger. _, i 



51 

The Papist, truly represented, is bred up in the ser- 
vice and love of God, taught to work his salvation in fear 
and trembling, to provide in health-time against the last 
hour, and by no means to rely upon a death-bed repent- 
ance ; for that men (generally speaking) as they live, so 
they die ; and it is to be feared greatly, that those who 
neglect God Almighty, and forsake him all their lifetime, 
will never find him at their death. So that (with St. 
Augustine) he doubts the salvation of as many as defer 
their conversion till that hour. However, if any are 
found, that have been so neglectful of their duty, as to 
put off this great business of eternity to the last moment, 
he is taught, that in charity they ought to have all assist- 
ance possible, to put them in mind of their condition, to 
excite them to a hearty detestation of all their offences ; 
to let them know, that they deserve hellfire in punish- 
ment of their wickedness, yet that they ought by no 
means to despair, for that God is merciful ; and who 
knows, but if they heartily call upon him, and endeavour 
for a sincere repentance, with an humble confidence on 
the merits and passion of Jesus Christ, he may hear 
their prayers, show them mercy, and give them time to 
repent. These are all the promises that can be given in 
this point, and this is what he sees daily practised ; and 
if some, by these means, are preserved from falling into 
despair, it is well; but as for any receiving, from hence, 
encouragement of coming into the like circumstances, 
he thinks there is but little danger ; especially since there 
is nothing so often repeated in books, no more common 
subjects for sermons, than displaying the manifold perils 
of delaying one's conversion, and putting off repentance 
till the last hour. 



OF FASTING. 

The Papist, misrepresented, is contented with the ap- 
pearance of devotion ; and looking not beyond the name 
of mortification, he sits down well satisfied with the 
shadow, without ever taking care for the substance. 
And thus, being a great pretender to fasting and the 



52 

denial of himself, he thinks he has sufficiently complied 
with his duty in this point, and made good his claim, if he 
has but abstained from flesh ; and though at the same 
time, he regales himself at noon, with all variety of the 
choicest fish, and stuffs himself at night with the best 
conserves, and most delicate junkets, and drinks all day 
the most pleasant wines and other liquors ; yet he per- 
suades himself, that he is a truly mortified man, and that 
he has done a work of great force, in order to the sup- 
pressing of his corrupt inclinations, and satisfying for the 
offences of his life past. Nay, he has such a preposter- 
ous conceit of things, that he believes it a greater sin to 
eat the least bit of flesh on a fasting-day, than to be 
downright drunk, or to commit any other excess; as 
having less scruple of breaking the Commandments of 
God, than of violating any ordinance of the Pope, or any 
law of his Church. 

The Papist, truly represented, is taught by his Church, 
that the appearance of devotion, the name of mortifica- 
tion, and pretence to it, are~only vain and fruitless things, 
if they are not accompanied with the substance. And 
that it is but a very lame compliance with the eclesiasti- 
cal precept of fasting, to abstain from flesh, unless all 
other excesses are at the same time carefully avoided. 
It is true, his Church has not forbidden on these days 
the drinking of wine, but permits a moderate use of it, 
as at other times ; but is so far from giving liberty to any 
of her flock for committing excesses, that she declares 
drunkenness, and all gluttony whatsoever, to be more 
heinous and scandalous sins on such days than any other ; 
they being expressly contrary, not only to the law of 
God, but also to the intention of the Church, which ap- 
points these times for the retrenching debaucheries, and 
conquering our vicious appetites. And now if any of his 
profession make less scruple of being drunk on a fasting 
day, than of eating the least bit of flesh, he knows no- 
thing more can be said of them, than of many of another 
communion, who will not break the sabbath-day by doing 
any servile work on it, for all the world, looking on this 



5 a 

as a most damning sin ; and yet at the same time have 
but little scruple of swearing, cursing, lying, or revelling 
the greatest part of the day ; which is not because they 
have more liberty for these than the former, they all 
being most wicked offences ; but because they that do 
thus, are but Christians by halves, who with a kind of 
Pharisaical and partial obedience, seem to bear some of the 
Commandments most zealously in their hearts, while they 
trample others under their feet, scrupling many times at 
a mote, and on other occasions passing by a beam undis- 
cerned, for which their Church is not to be accountable, 
but themselves, as being guilty of a wilful blindness, and 
a most unchristian negligence. This is the real case of 
such of his communion, who, on days of humiliation, while 
they abstain from flesh, yet give scandal by their intem- 
perateness. They have a command of God, by which 
they are obliged on all days to live soberly, and to avoid 
all gluttony and drunkenness ; and on fasting days, be- 
sides this command of God, they have a Church pre- 
cept, by which they are bound, if able, to eat but one 
meal in a day, and that not of flesh. And now, if some 
are so ignorant and careless, as to be scrupulously obser- 
vant of one of these commands, and wholly negligent of 
the other; it is not because their religion teaches them 
to do so, (which condemns and detests all such scandalous 
partiality, and complying with their duty by halves) but 
because they shut their ears to all good instruction, and 
choose rather to follow their own corrupt appetites, than 
the wholesome doctrine of their Church. 

4 OF DIVISIONS AND SCHISMS IN THE 
CHURCH. 

The Papist, misrepresented, is of a religion, in which 
there are as many schisms as families, and they are so 
divided in their opinions, that commonly as many as meet 
in company, so many several tenets are maintained. 
Hence arise their infinite and endless disputes, and the 
disagreement of their divines, who pretend to give a true 
and solid explication of the mysteries of the Cb-istian 
e 2 



54 

faith, and yet differ in as many points as they write oft 
Besides, what variety of judgments is there in their reli- 
gious houses and cloisters, no one agreeing with another, 
in their foundation, institution, and profession ; this being 
of the religion of St. Dominic, that of St. Francis, a third 
of St. Bernard, others of St. Benedict ; and so without 
number; so that there is as many religions as orders. 
And yet they pretend to Christian unity, amidst this di- 
versity growing upon them every day. 

The Papist, truly represented, is of a religion in which 
there are no schisms or separations ; all the members of 
it, however spread through the world, agreeing like one 
man, in every article of their faith, by an equal submis- 
sion to the determination of their Church. And no one 
of them, though most learned and wise, ever following 
any other rule in their faith, besides this, of assenting to 
all that the Church of God, planted by Christ, assisted 
and protected by the Holy Ghost, proposes to the faith- 
ful to be believed as the doctrine of the Apostles, and 
received as such in all ages. That is, all unanimously 
believe as the Church of God believes. No one of his 
communion ever doubting of this, or scrupling to receive 
any thing after his Church's declaration. 

And now, though they all thus conspire in every point 
of faith, yet there is a great diversity among schoolmen 
in their divinity points, and opinions of such matters as 
are no articles of faith, and which being never defined 
by their Church, may be maintained severally, either in 
this or that way, without any breach of faith, or injury 
to their religion ; and of these things only they dispute, 
and have their debates in manner of a school exercise, 
without any disagreement at all in their belief, but with 
a perfect miity. The like unity is there amongst their 
religious orders, all which say the same creed, own the 
same authority in the Church of Christ ; and in every 
thing profess the same faith ; and have no other differ- 
ences, than as it were of so many several steps or de- 
grees, in the practice of a devout and holy life ; some 
being of a more severe and strict discipline, others of a 



55 

more gentle and moderate ; some spending more time in 
praying, others more in watching, others more in fasting ; 
some being intended for the catechising and breeding up 
of youth; others for taking care of hospitals, and looking 
after the sick; others for going among infidels, and 
preaching to them the gospel of Christ, and for such like 
pious and Christian designs, to the greater glory and 
honour of God. Which differences make no other dif- 
ference in the several professors, than there was between 
Mary and Martha, who expressed their love and service 
to their Lord in a very different employ, but both com- 
mendably, and without any danger of prejudicing the 
unity of their faith. 

OF FRIARS AND NUNS. 

The Papist, misrepresented , is taught to have a high 
estimation of all those in his communion, who, cloistering 
themselves up, become Friars and Nuns ; a sort of peo- 
ple who call themselves religious, and are nothing but a 
religious cheat ; under the cloak of piety, and pretence 
to devotion, deceiving the world, and living to the height 
of wickedness, under the notion of Saints. 

The Papist, truly represented, is taught to have a high 
esteem for those of his communion, who undertake that 
sort of life, which, according to Christ's own direction, 
and his Apostles, is pointed out as best. A sort of peo- 
ple who endeavour to perform all that God has com- 
manded, and also w 7 hat he has counselled as the better, 
and in order to more perfection. They hear Christ de- 
claring the danger of riches; they therefore embrace a 
voluntary poverty, and lay aside all titles to wealth and 
possessions. St. Paul preaches, that he that giveth not 
his virgin in marriage, doth better than he that does ; 
and she that is unmarried, cares for the things of the 
Lord, how she may be holy both in body and in spirit ; 
they therefore choose a single state, consecrating their 
virginity to God ; that so they may be wholly intent on 
his service, and be careful how to please him ; while she 



56 

that is married, cares for the things of the world, how 
she may please her husband, 1 Cor. vii. 32, 33, 34*38. 
The gospel proclaims that those that will follow Christ, 
must deny themselves : they therefore renounce their 
own wills, and without respect to their own proper inch- 
nations, pass their lives in a perpetual obedience. And 
because the world is corrupt, so that to a pious soul every 
business is a distraction, every diversion a temptation, 
and more frequently provocations to evil, than examples 
to good ; they therefore retire from it as much as possible, 
and confining themselves to a little corner or cell, apply 
themselves wholly to devotion, making prayer their 
business, the service of God their whole employ, and the 
salvation of their souls their only design. 

And now, if in these retirements, where every thing 
is ordered as it may be most advantageous for the pro- 
moting of virtue and devotion, and nothing permitted 
that is likely to prove a disturbance to godliness, or al- 
lurement to evil, yet some, (for God be praised, it is far 
from being the case of the generality,) live scandalously, 
and give ill example to the world : What can be said, 
but that no state can secure any man ; and that no such 
provision can be made in order to a holy life, but it may 
be abused ? But yet he does not think that such abuses, 
and the viciousness of some, can be argument enough to 
any just and reasonable man, to condemn the whole, and 
the institution itself. Is not marriage abused an infinite 
number of ways, and many forced to embrace this state, 
or at least to accept of such particular persons contrary 
to their own choice and liking ? Is there any state in 
this world, any condition, trade, calling, profession, de- 
gree, or dignity whatsoever, which is not abused by 
some ? Are Churches exempt from abuses ? Are not 
Bibles and the word of God abused ? Is not Christianity 
itself abused, and even the mercy of God abused ? If 
therefore there is nothing so sacred and divine in the whole 
world, which wicked and malicious men do not pervert 
to their ill designs, to the high dishonour of God, and 
their own damnation, how can any, upon the mere con- 
sideration of some abuses, pass sentence of condemnation 



57 

against a thing, which otherwise is good and holy? It 
is an undeniable truth, that to embrace a life exempt, as 
much as can be, from the turmoils of the world, and in a 
quiet retirement dedicate one's self to the service of God, 
and spend one's days in prayer and contemplation, is a 
most commendable undertaking, and very becoming a 
Christian. And yet if some, who enter such a course 
of life as tins, fall short of what they pretend, and instead 
of becoming eminent in virtue and godliness, by their 
unexemplary lives prove a scandal to their profession, is 
their rule and institution to be condemned, or rather they 
who swerve from it ? No, let not the dignity of an 
Apostle suffer for the fall of Judas : nor the Command- 
ments lie under an aspersion upon the account of those 
that break them, 



OF WICKED PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES. 

The Papist, misrepresented , is a member of a Church 
which is called holy, but in her doctrine and practices is 
so foul and abominable, that whosoever admires her for 
sanctity, may upon the same grounds do homage to vice 
itself. Has ever any society, since Christ's time, appear- 
ed in the world so black and deformed with hellish 
crimes as she ? Has she not outdone even the most bar- 
barous nations and infidels with her impieties, and drawn 
a scandal upon the name of Christians, by her unparal- 
leled vices ? Take but a view of the horrid practices 
she has been engaged in ; consider the French and Irish 
massacres, the murder of Henry III. and IV. kings of 
France, the holy league, the gun-powder treason, the 
cruelty of queen Mary, the firing of London, the death 
of Sir Edmonbury Godfrey ; and an infinite number of 
other such like devilish contrivances ; and then tell me, 
whether that Church which has been the author and 
promoter of such barbarous designs, ought to be esteem- 
ed holy, and respected for piety and religion, or rather to 
be condemned fo « the mistress of iniquity, the whore of 
Babylon, which Wth. polluted the earth with her wicked- 
ness, and taught aothing but the doctrine of devils? 



58 

And let ever so many pretences be made, yet it is evi- 
dent, that all these execrable practices have been done 
according to the known principles of this holy Church, 
and that her greatest patrons, the most learned of her 
divines, her most eminent bishops, her prelates, cardinals, 
and even the popes themseleves, have been the chief 
managers of these hellish contrivances. And what more 
convincing that they are all well approved, and conform 
to the religion taught by their Church. 

The Papist, truly represented^ is member of a Church, 
which, according to the ninth article of the Apostles' 
Creed, he believes to be Holy ; and this not only in name, 
but also in doctrine; and for witness of her sanctity, he 
appeals to her councils, catechisms, pulpits, and spiritual 
books of direction; in which the main design is, to im- 
print in the hearts of the faithful this comprehensive 
maxim of Christianity ; that they ought to love God above 
all things, with their whole heart and soul, and their 
neighbour as themselves ; and that, none should flatter 
themselves with a confidence to be saved by faith alone, 
without living soberly, justly, and piously; as it is in the 
council of Trent, Sess. 6. c. 11. So that he doubts not 
fit all, but that as many as live according to the direction 
of his Church, and observance of her doctrine, live holily 
in the sendee and fear of God ; and with an humble con- 
fidence in the merits and passion of their Redeemer, may 
hope to be received after this life into eternal bliss. But 
that all in communion with his Church do not live thus 
holily, and in the fear -of God, he knows is too evident ; 
there being many in all places, w T holly forgetful of their 
duty, giving themselves up to vice, and guilty of most 
horrid crimes. And though he is not bound to believe 
all to be truth, that is charged upon them by adversaries ; 
there being no narrative of any such devilish contrivances 
and practices laid to them, wherein passion and fury 
have not made great additions ; wherein things dubious, 
are not improved into certainties, suspicions into realities, 
fears and jealousies into substantial plots, and downright 
Jies and recorded perjuries, into pulpit, nay, gospel truths* 



59 

Yet he really thinks, that there have been men of his 
profession of every rank and degree, learned and un- 
learned, high and low, secular and ecclesiastic, that have 
been scandalous in their lives, wicked in their designs, 
without the fear of God in their hearts, or care of their 
own salvation. But what then ? Is the whole Church 
to be condemned for the vicious lives of some of her pro 
lessors ; and her doctrine to stand guilty of as many vil 
lanies as those commit, who neglect to follow it? If so, 
let the men of that society, judgment, or persuasion, who 
are not in the like circumstances, fling the first stone. 
Certainly, if this way of passing sentence be once allowed 
as just and reasonable, there never was, nor ever will be, 
any religion or Church of God upon the earth. A con 
fident undertaker would find no difficulty in proving this . 
especially if he had but the gift of exaggerating some 
things, misrepresenting others, of finding authors for 
every idle story, of charging the extravagant opinions of 
every single writer upon the religion they profess, or 
raking together all the wickedness, cruelties, treacheries, 
plots, conspiracies, at any time committed by any ambi- 
tious desperadoes, or wicked villains ; and then positively 
asserting, that what these did, was according to the 
doctrine of that Church of which they were members ; 
and that the true measures of the sanctity and goodness 
of the Church in whose communion these men were, 
may be justly taken from the behaviour of such 
offenders. 

But certainly no man of reason and conscience can 
allow of such proceedings. No sober man would ever 
go to Newgate or Tyburn, to know what is the religion 
professed in England according to law ; nor would look 
into all the sinks, jakes, or dung-hills about town, from 
such a prospect to give a true description of the city. 
Why, therefore, should the character of the Church of 
Rome, and her doctrine, be taken only from the loose be- 
haviour and wicked crimes of such, who, though in com- 
munion with her, yet live not according to her direction ? 
She teaches holiness of life, mercy to the poor, loyalty 
and obedience to Princes, and the necessity of keeping 



60 

the commandments, witness the many books of devotion 
and direction, made English for public benefit, written 
originally by Papists, and great numbers there are, God- 
be praised, who practise this in their lives. And now if 
there be many also who stop their ears to good instruc- 
tion, and following the suggestion of their own ungovern- 
ed appetites, of pride, ambition, covetousness, luxury, 
&c.,so lay aside all concern of salvation, and become 
unchristian both to God and their neighbour, that they 
are a shame to their profession ; why should the Church 
be represented according to the wickedness of those that 
neglect her doctrine ; and not rather by the piety and 
exemplary lives of such as follow it ? Let the character 
of the Church be given according to what she teaches, 
and not according to the writings of every positive opi- 
niator, or the practices of every wicked liver, and there 
is no fear of its coming out ugly and deformed. Neither 
let any one pretend to demonstrate the faith and princi- 
ples of the Papists, by the works of every divine in that 
communion; or by the actions of every Bishop, Cardinal, 
. or Pope ; which are not any rule of their faith. They 
own that many of their writers are too loose in their 
opinions, that all Bishops and Cardinals are not so edify- 
ing as becomes their state ; and that Popes may have 
their failings too. But what then ? These actions of 
Popes concern not the faith of those who are in com- 
munion with them ; they may throw a scandal indeed 
upon the religion, but they cannot alter its creed. But 
what need any other return to the numerous clamours 
made daily against the wickedness of the Papists ? It is 
a sufficient vindication of their chief Pastors and Popes, 
to use the words of Lord Castleman in his apology, that 
among two hundred and fifty, that have now successively 
bore their charge, there are not above ten or twelve 
against whom their most malicious adversaries can find 
occasion of spitting their venom ; and that a challenge 
may be made to the world, to show but the fifth part of 
so many successive governors, since the creation, of 
which there have not been far more that have abused 
their power. And as for their flock, and people owning 



61 

this authority, it is true, many wicked things have beefl 
done by some of them; and too many, like libertines, ne- 
glect the care of their souls. But, however, the gene- 
rality of them live like Christians; few enter into their 
communion, but with their religion they change also 
their manners for the better ; few desert them, but such 
who seem to be fallen out with all Christianity; and 
whosoever will look into one of our neighbouring popish 
towns, as Paris, Antwerp, Gaunt, &c. will find in any 
one of them more praying, more fasting, more receiving 
the Sacraments, more visiting of prisoners, and the sick, 
more almsgiving, than in any ten towns of the Re- 
formation. 

OF MIRACLES. 

The Papist, misrepresented , is so given up to the be- 
lief of idle stories and ridiculous inventions in favour of 
Saints, which he calls miracles, that nothing can be re- 
lated so every way absurd, foolish, and almost impossible, 
but it gains credit with him ; and he is credulously confi- 
dent of the truth of them; so that there is no difference 
to him, betwixt these tales, and what he reads in Scrip- 
ture. 

The Papist, truly represented, is not obliged to believe 
any one miracle, besides what is in the Scripture ; and 
for all others, he may give the credit, which in prudence 
he thinks they deserve, considering the honesty of the 
relator, the authority of the witnesses, and such other 
circumstances, which on the like occasions used to gain 
his assent. 

And now, if upon the account of mere history, and the 
consent of authors, none make any doubt, but that there 
was such a one as Csesar, Alexander, Mahomet, Luther, 
&c. or of many particulars of their lives and actions, why 
should he doubt of the truth of many miracles, which 
have not only the like consent of authors and history 
but also have been attested by great numbers of eyewit- 
nesses, examined by authority, and found upon record 



62 

With all the formalities due to such a process? St, 
Augustine relates many miracles done in his time, so does 
St. Jerom, and other Fathers ; and if they doubted no- 
thing of them then, why should he question the truth of 
them now. He finds, that in the time of old law, God 
favoured many of his servants, by working miracles by 
their hands ; and he thinks that God's hand is not short- 
ened now ; that the disciples of Christ are no less the 
favourites of heaven than those of Moses ; and that the 
new law may be very well allowed to be as glorious, and 
as particularly privileged as the old; especially since 
Christ promised that they that believed in him should 
do greater miracles than ever he himself had done, St. 
John, xiv. 12. And what if some miracles, recounted by 
authors, are so wonderfully strange, as to seem to some 
ridiculous and ubsurd, are they less true upon this 
account ? Is not every thing ridiculous to unbelievers ? 
The whole doctrine of Christ is a scandal to the Jews, and 
folly to the Gentiles. And what is more absurd to one- 
that wants faith, than the miracles recounted in the Old 
Testament ? Might not such a one turn them all into 
ridicule and buffoonery? Take but faith away, and 
what becomes of Balaam and his ass, Samson and his 
jaw-bone, Elias and his fiery chariot, Elisha's mantle, 
ax-head, and dead bones, Gideon's pitchers, lamps, and 
trumpets, the fall of the walls of Jericho, Moses holding 
up his hands for the victory over his enemies, his parting 
of the Red sea, and Joshua commanding the Sun to stand 
still, &c? Might not these and all the rest be painted 
out as ridiculous, as any supposed to be done since 
Christ's time ? A little incredulity, accompanied with a 
presumption of measuring God's works by human wis- 
dom, will really make the greatest part of them pass for 
follies, and absurd impossibilities. And though he is so 
far from giving equal assent to the miracles related in 
Scripture, and the others wrought since, that the former 
he believes with a divine faith, and the rest with an infe- 
rior kind of assent, according to the grounds and author- 
ity there is in favour of them, like as he does in profane 
history; yet the strangeness of these, never makes him in 



63 

the least doubt of the truth of them, since it is evident to 
him, that all the works of heaven far surpass all his rea- 
soning, and that while he endeavours but to look even 
into the very ordinary things daily wrought by God Al- 
mighty, he quite loses himself, and is bound to confess 
his own ignorance and folly, and that God is wonderful 
in all his works, a God surpassing all our knowledge. 
Whatsoever therefore is related upon good grounds, as 
done by the extraordinary power of God, he is ready to 
assent to it, although he sees neither the how, the why, 
nor the wherefore ; being ready to attribute all to the 
honour and praise of his Maker, to whose omnipotent 
hand most of poor man's impossibilities are none. 

OF HOLY WATER. 

The Papist, misrepresented, highly approves the su- 
perstitious use of many inanimate things, and attributes 
wonderful effects to such creatures which are but in a 
very inferior rank, and able to do no such things. Holy 
water is in great esteem with him, so are blessed can- 
dles, holy o3, &c. ; in all which he puts so much confi- 
dence, that by the power of these he thinks himself se- 
cure from wickedness, enchantments, and all the power 
of the devil. 

The Papist, truly represented, utterly disapproves all 
sorts of superstition. And yet he is taught to have an 
esteem for holy water, blessed candles, and holy oil, not 
doubting but that, as such men who have consecrated 
themselves to the service of God in the preaching of the 
gospel and administration of the sacraments, have a par- 
ticular respect due to them above the laity ; as Churches 
dedicated to God are otherwise to be looked on than 
other dwelling houses ; so likewise these other creatures 
which are particularly deputed by the prayers and bless- 
ing of the priest, to certain uses for God's own glory, 
and the spiritual and corporal good of Christians, ougnt 
to be respected in a degree above other common things. 
And what superstition is there in the use of them? Has 



64 

not God himself prescribed such inanimate things, and 
holy men made use of them, for an intent above their 
natural power ; a:ld this without any superstition ? Was 
there superstition in the waters of jealousy, Numb. v. 17. 
or in the salt used by Elisha for sweetening the infected 
waters? Was it superstition in Christ to use clay for 
opening the eyes of the blind ? Or in the Apostles to 
make use of oil for the curirg of the sick? Mark vi. 10. 
And though there be no express command in Scripture, 
for blessing water, candles, &c. yet there is this as- 
surance, that every crecture is sanctified by the word of 
God and prayer^ 1 Tim. iv. 5. and frequent promises 
that God will hear the prayers of the faithful. Why, 
therefore, should he doubt, but that these creatures on 
which the blessing of God is solemnly implored by the 
word of God, and the prayers of the Priest and people, 
for their sanctification are really sanctified, according to 
the assurance of the Apostle and promises of God ? St. 
Cyril of Jerusalem, who lived in the beginning of the 
fourth century, made no question, but that as those 
things which are offered to idols, though pure in their 
own nature, are made impure by the invocation of devils ; 
so on the contrary, simple water is made holy and gets a 
sanctity, by virtue received from the Holy Ghost, of 
Christ our Lord, and his eternal Father, Cyr. Catech. 
And that blessed water was capable, by virtue received 
from heaven, of working effects above its own nature, 
was certainly the sentiment of the Christians in the 
primitive times. St. Epiphanius, Tom. 2. 1. 1 . cont . hcer. 
30. relates a passage at length, how w^ er being blessed 
in the name of Jesus, and sprinkled upon fire, which by 
witchcraft was made inactive, and hindered from burning, 
immediately the enchantment ceased, and the fire burned. 
As also that a possessed person being sprinkled with 
blessed water, the party was immediately cured. Theo- 
doret has the like narration of the devil hindering fire 
from burning, and how he was chased away, and the 
charm dissolved by blessed water being thrown on it, lib. 
5. Eccles. hyst. c. 21. And St. Jerome relates in vit. 
Jtilarion, how Italicus took water from blessed Hilarion, 



65 

and cast it on his bewitched horses, his chariot, and the 
barriers from which he used to run, and that the charm 
of witchery did cease upon the sprinkling this water ; so 
that all cried out, Mamas victus est a Christo; Christ 
hath conquered Marnas the idol. 

And now there is no jeering and ridiculing of these 
things that will ever make them look like idle supersti- 
tions, to one that considers seriously how much they are 
grounded upon reason, theVordof God, antiquity, and 
the authority and practice offcp Catholic Church ; which 
approves the use of them ; yet so as plainly to teach that 
there is no confidence to be put in any thing, but only in 
Jesus Christ; and that what power these things have, 
they have not of themselves, but only from heaven, and 
by the invocation of the name of Jesus ; who, as by his 
heavenly blessing he enables us to do things above the 
power of nature; so also by the prayers of his Church, 
he blesses these things, in order to the working effects 
above their own natural qualities, that by them his 
fatherly benefits may be applied to us, and that so the 
faithful may more particularly honour and bless him in all 
his creatures. 

OF BREEDING UP PEOPLE IN IGNORANCE. 

The Papist, misrepresented, is trained up in ignorance ; 
and it is the chief means made use of by his Church, for 
preserving men in that communion, to hide from them 
her manifold mysteries of iniquity, her sottish supersti- 
tions, her unchristian doctrines, by performing all in un- 
known tongues, and not permitting the poor misled peo- 
ple to look into, or understand any thing that they be- 
lieve or profess. And by this blindness they are per- 
suaded to embrace such infinite numbers of gross errors, 
that were but the veil taken from their eyes, but for one 
half hour, and they but permitted to have one fair pros- 
pect of their religion, thousands and thousands would 
daily desert her, and come over to the truth. 

The Papist, truly represented, has all the liberty, en- 
couragement, and convenience of becoming learned, of 

f 2 



66 

any people or persuasion whatsoever. And none that 
has ever looked over any library, and found that the 
greatest numbers and choicest books in all sciences, have 
men of his communion for their authors : none that in his 
travels has taken a thorough view of the universities in 
Popish countries, of Paris, Louvain, Salamanca, Bologna, 
&c. and considered their laborious studies, in philosophy, 
divinity, history, the Fathers, Councils, Scriptures, &c. ; 
and, besides the students here, has seen how many thou- 
sands there are in religious houses, who, free from the 
disturbances of the world, make virtue and learning the 
business of their whole life ; will ever lay ignorance to 
the .charge of the Papists; but must in justice confess, 
that amongst them are to be found as many and as great 
scholars, as amongst any people or societies in the world. 
And as for the vulgar and common sort of that profes- 
sion, though they understand not Latin, yet they are not 
trained up in ignorance of their religion, nor led along in 
blindness ; but are so provided with books, in their own 
mother tongue, of instruction and devotion, wherein is 
explained the whole duty of a Christian, every mystery 
of their faith, and all the offices and ceremonies perform- 
ed in the Church ; that they must be very negligent, or 
else have very mean parts, who do not arrive at a suffi- 
cient knowledge of their obligation in every respect. 

And, whosoever has witnessed the great pains and 
care some good men take abroad, in explaining on Sun- 
days and holydays in their churches, and on week-days 
in the streets, the Christian doctrine to the crowds of 
the ignorant and meaner sort of people, not omitting to 
reward such as answer well, with some small gifts, to 
encourage youth, and provoke them to a commendable 
emulation ; will never say, that the Papists keep the poor 
in ignorance, and hide from them their religion. But 
rather that they use all means for instructing the igno- 
rant, and omit nothing that can in anywise conduce to 
the breeding up of youth in the knowledge of their faith, 
and letting them see into the religion they are to profess. 
Neither does it seem to him, even so much as probable, 
that if the Church offices and service, &c. were per- 



67 

formed in the vulgar tongue, upon this the now ignorant 
people would immediately discover so many idle super- 
stitions, senseless devotions, and gross errors, that they 
would in great numbers, upon the sight, become desert- 
ers of that communion, in which now they are professed 
members. For since there is nothing done but in a lan- 
guage which the learned, judicious, and leading men of 
all nations every where understand, and yet these espy 
nothing to fright them from the"ir faith ; but notwith- 
standing the seeing all through and through, they yet 
admire all for solid, holy, and apostolical, and remain 
steadfast in their profession, how can it be imagined, that 
the vulgar, weak, and unlearned sort, did they understand 
all as well as they, would espy any such errors and 
superstitions, which these others, with all their learning 
and judgment cannot discover? No ; he thinks there is 
no reason to fear, that what passes the test among the 
wise and learned, can be groundedly called in question 
by the multitude. 

OF THE UNCHARITABLENESS OF THE 
PAPISTS. 

The Papist, misrepresented ', is taught by his Church, 
to be very uncharitable, and to damn all that are not of 
his persuasion : so that let persons be ever so just in their 
dealings, ever so charitable to the poor, ever so constant 
in their devotions ; though they confess Jesus Christ, and 
believe his incarnation, passion, resurrection, and ascen- 
sion, yet if they are not in the communion of his Church, 
or if they disbelieve any one article declared by any of 
his general councils, he marks them out for schismatics 
and heretics ; and sends them to hell without mercy. 

The Papist, truly represented, is taught by his Church, 
a universal charity for all mankind : to wish well to all, 
to pray for all, to exercise both the corporal and spiritual 
works of mercy, according to his ability, to all, of what 
persuasion soever. But then charity and truth are not 
to be separated ; and it would be a false charity, to pro- 



6R 

mise heaven to any of those whom the word of God con- 
demns to hell. Hence he thinks it no part of the duty 
of charity, to judge favourably of the salvation of any of 
those that die in mortal sin unrepented of; for such a 
judgment as this would do them no service, and would 
hurt himself. Now if we believe plain Scripture, and 
the universal tradition of the Fathers, and all antiquity, 
heresy and schism are mortal sins ; and therefore saying- 
that heretics, and schismatics are out of the state of sal- 
vation, his judgment is not uncharitable, because he ad- 
vances nothing but a Scripture truth. St. Paul in plain 
terms declares the same, Galat. v. 20, 21. where he 
reckons sects or heresies among those sins of which he 
pronounces, that they that do such things shall not inherit 
the kingdom of God. Nor is he uncharitable in judging 
those guilty of heresy that obstinately refuse to believe 
any part of the divine revelation ; and those guilty of 
schism that wilfully separate themselves from the com- 
munion of the Church, and refuse a due subordination to 
its Pastors : since Scripture and all antiquity give us no 
other definition of heresy and schism. 

In what then are Papists uncharitable ? Is it because 
they charge all with heresy and schism that are not in 
their communion ? No , for they except all those whose 
being out of their communion is owing, not to any obsti- 
nacy, carelessness, worldly interest, or human respects, 
but purely to their being deprived of the means of know- 
ing the truth, which they would gladly embrace if they 
knew it. For such as these, in the desire and disposition 
of their souls, are in the Church, and therefore are nei- 
ther heretics nor schismatics. Nor are they uncharita- 
ble in restraining the whole Church of Christ to one 
communion, and believing that to be their own. No ; 
for nothing is more evident in Scripture, nothing more 
unanimously received by all antiquity as a first principle 
m religion, than that the Church of Christ can be but 
one, one fold under one shepherd, one body, one spouse, 
one house, one city, one kingdom, and consequently one 
society, united in one faith and in one communion, esta- 
blished at first by Christ and his blessed Apostles ; and 



69 

descending by an uninterrupted succession from them, 
ever one, holy, catholic, and apostolical ; and that the 
wilful breaking off from this original communion is the 
crime of schism; as the departing from its faith is the 
crime of heresy. 

Therefore it is evident, that many sects disagreeing in 
faith, and divided in communion, cannot compound the 
one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Christ. And 
therefore it cannot be uncharitable to maintain that the 
whole Church is but in one communion. And as all the 
marks of the Church agree to no other communion but 
his ; it cannot be uncharitable in the Papist to believe 
that his Church is the true Church of Christ, and upon 
this conviction to invite all to her communion. For she 
alone has an uninterrupted succession of her Pastors 
from the Apostles of Christ. She alone has been always 
one ; by aU her members professing one faith, in one 
communion, under one chief Pastor, succeeding St. Pe- 
ter, to whom Christ committed the charge of his whole 
flock, St. John xxi. 15. &c. and the keys of heaven, St. 
Mat. xvi. 19. She alone has been always holy; by 
teaching all holiness, by inviting all to holiness, by afford- 
ing all helps and means of holiness, and by having in all 
ages, innumerable holy ones in her communion. She 
alone is catholic or universal, by subsisting in all ages, 
by teaching all nations, and by maintaining all truths. 
She alone is apostolical, by deriving her doctrine, her com- 
munion, her orders, and her commission from the Apostles 
of Christ. She alone has converted infidel nations with 
their kings to the faith of Christ ; and to this day sends 
her priests and missionaries into all parts of the world, to 
propagate the kingdom of Christ ; she alone has been in 
all ages illustrated by innumerable miracles, and by the 
wonderful lives and deaths of innumerable Saints. All 
other sects begun by separating from her ; their first 
teachers went out from her ; and had before acknowledg- 
ed her authority ; they were all censured by her, at their 
first appearance : but she never departed or separated 
from any more ancient Church, or was ever censured by 
any lawful authority. In a word, she is the great body 



70 

of Christians, descending from the primitive and apostolic 
Church : consequently she is the one, holy, catholic, and 
apostolical Church. 

OF INNOVATION IN MATTERS OF FAITH. 

The Popish Church, as misrepresented , has made 
several innovations in matters of faith, and howsoever she 
lays claim to antiquity, with a pretence of having pre- 
served the doctrine of the Apostles inviolable and entire ; 
yet is evident to any serious observer, that the greatest 
part of her belief is mere novelties ; not bearing date from 
Christ or his Apostles, but only from some of her own 
more modern synods : there scarce having passed any 
age yet, wherein there has not, in these ecclesiastical 
mints, been coined new articles, which, with the coun- 
terfeit stamp of Christ and his Apostles, are made to pass 
for good and current, amongst her credulous and undis- 
cerning retainers. And, besides these, what a great 
number of errors have been introduced at other times; 
how many did Pope Gregory bring in, and how many the 
ignorance of the tenth age? So that if we compare the 
Church of Rome now, with the primitive times of the 
first three or four hundred years, there are no two things 
so unlike ; she is a garden now, but quite overgrown with 
weeds ; she is a field, but where the tares have perfectly 
choked up the wheat, and has little in her of apostolical 
besides the name. 

The Popish Church, truly represented, has never 
made any innovation in matters of faith ; what she be- 
lieves and teaches now, being the same that the Catho- 
lic Church believed and taught, in the first three or four 
centuries after the Apostles. And though in most of 
her general Councils there have been several decisions 
touching points of faith ; yet can no one, without an 
injury to truth, say, that in any of these have been coined 
new articles, or Christians forced to the acceptance of 
novelties, contrary to Scripture, or ancient tradition. 
These have only trodden in the Apostles' steps : as often 



71 

as they have been in the like circumstances with them ; 
doing exactly according to the form and example left' to 
the Church by those perfect masters of Christianity. 
And therefore as the Apostles in their assembly, Acts 
xv. determined the controversy concerning the circum- 
cision ; and proposed to the faithful, what was the doc- 
trine of Christ in that point, of necessity to be believed, 
of which, till that decision, there had been raised several 
questions and doubts ; but now no longer to be questioned, 
without the shipwreck of faith. So in all succeeding ages, 
the elders of the Church, to whom the Apostles left their 
commission of watching over the flock, in their Councils 
have never scrupled to determine all such points, as were 
controverted amongst Christians, and to propose to them, 
what of necessity they were to believe for the future ; 
with anathemas pronounced against all such as should 
presume to preach the contrary. Thus in the year 325, 
the first Nicene council declared the Son of God to be 
consubstantial to his father, against the Arians; with an 
obligation on all to assent to this doctrine, though never 
till then proposed or declared in that form. Thus in the 
first Ephesian council, anno. 431, Nestorius was con- 
demned, who maintained two persons in Christ, and that 
the blessed Virgin was not the mother of God ; with a 
declaration, that both these his tenets were contrary to 
the Catholic faith. Thus* in the second Nicene council, 
anno. 787, image-breakers were anathematized. Thus 
in the great council of Lateran, anno. 1215, Transub- 
stantiation was declared ; the sufficiency of Communion 
in one kind, in the council of Constance ; Purgatory in 
the council of Florence ; and all these, together with the 
sacrifice of the Mass, the invocation of Saints, &c. in the 
council of Trent, against Luther, Calvin, &c. 

And now, though in all these and the other general 
councils, the persons condemned, took occasion, from 
these new declarations, to cry out, novelties, novelties, 
to fright the people with new coined articles and that 
the inventions of men were imposed on them for faith ; 
yet it is evident that these new declarations contained 
nothing but the ancient faith ; and that there would never 



72 

have been any such declaration made, had not the an- 
cient doctrine proposed in them, been opposed and con- 
tradicted by some seducing spirits, who going out from 
the flock, endeavoured, by making divisions, to draw 
numbers after them. So that the new proposal of a tenet, 
is but a fallacious proof of the doctrine being but lately 
invented ; but a good argument of its being lately oppos- 
^4. It is certain from Scripture, Acts xv. that the Apos- 
*ks had never declared the non-necessity of circumcision, 
had not certain men come down from Judea, and taught 
the brethren the contrary. And that the consubstan- 
tiality of the Son had never been defined by the Nicene 
Fathers, had not Arius with his followers opposed this 
Catholic doctrine. And as certain it is, the council of 
Trent had been altogether silent as to transubstantiation, 
praying to Saints, &c. had not Luther, Calvin, and their 
disciples, once professors of this doctrine, gone out from 
the flock, and upon the presumption of a new light, en- 
deavoured to persuade the faithful, that these tenets, 
then believed by the whole Christian world, were no 
longer to be owned, but to be quite thrown by, as anti- 
christian and diabolical. It was this obliged the Pastors 
to watch and take care of their flock ; and therefore not 
flying away, as the hireling does, when the wolf catcheth 
and scattereth the sheep, they assembled together into a 
body, and declared to all under their charge, that they 
ought not to follow strangers; that, howsoever these 
came, pretending to the Shepherd's voice, yet since they 
came not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbing up 
some other way, they were not shepherds, but thieves 
and robbers, whose business was not to feed, but to steal, 
kill, and destroy. It was this made them encourage all 
under their care, not to waver, but to stand fast and 
hold the profession of their faith, and, notwithstanding all 
pretences, by no means suffer themselves to be deluded, 
and led away with strange doctrines; and, that they 
might the better secure them from falling into errors, 
they gave them a plan of their Christian doctrine, espe- 
cially of all those points which those modern self-com- 
missioned Apostles did preach against, and endeavour to 



73 

undermine, particularly declaring to them the faith they 
had been bred up in, which they had received from their 
forefathers, and which had been derived even down from 
the Apostles ; assuring them that whatsoever was con- 
trary to this, was novelty and error. And now, in the 
Pastors declaring this to the faithful, where was the in- 
novation ? The Council did nothing but propose fully 
and explicitly, what, before their meeting, was the doc- 
trine of all Christendom, and had been so amongst the 
primitive Fathers. It was they that made the innovation 
w T ho preached contrary to the doctrine thus believed and 
received ; which Luther was not ashamed to own him- 
self guilty of, thereby plainly acknowledging that he 
separated from the whole world. 

But it seems that the whole world was then corrupted, 
and the religion then every where professed, was over- 
grown with superstition, errors, and abominations ; such 
as had crept into the Church, some rive hundred years 
before, some nine hundred, and some a thousand ; and it 
was from these Luther separated, intending to reform 
^.Christianity, and bring it to the purity of the primitive 
times of the first three hundred years. And was it not 
very strange now, that so many gross fooleries, wicked 
superstitions, and even downright idolatry, should creep 
into the Church, an dt spreading itself through all nations, 
infect the whole world, becoming the public profession 
of Christendom for so many hundred years, and be con- 
firmed and established by the laws of every kingdom ; 
and that nobody should take notice of any such thing, 
either at its first rise, or in all its progress of so many 
ages; insomuch, that had not Luther made the discovery, 
it is likely we should never have come to the knowledge 
of these thousand years errors and corruptions ? Surely 
no thinking man can judge it possible that the very fun- 
damentals of Christianity should be shaken, and the re- 
ligion planted by the Apostles turned into idolatry; and 
yet that no learned man should any where appear to 
contradict these abominations, no zealous pastors to 
withstand them, no pious princes to oppose them. His- 
tory sufficiently satisfies any curious reader; that from 



74 

the first planting of the Cnuren, there fias not been in 
any age, any man yet that has preached any heterodox 
and erroneous tenets, and by introducing novelties, has 
endeavoured to infect the minds of the faithful with 
heresy and superstition, but immediately there have 
stood up virtuous and learned men in defence of the 
truth ; in their writings and sermons publicly confuting 
and condemning the errors, and giving an alarm to the 
world to beware of such deceivers, and their wicked 
doctrine; and withal, never omitting to record their 
names to posterity, with an account of the time when 
they began to preach ; under what emperors, and what 
was the occasion of their revolt. Was not all this, and 
even more, done against Arius ? How many appeared 
against the Manichees ? How many against the Dona- 
tists ; against the Novatians, against the Macedonians, 
the Nestorians, the Eutychians, the Pelagians, the Be- 
rengarians ? So that never any thing has made so much 
noise in the world, so many commotions, so many dis- 
turbances ; nothing has been so impossible to be carried 
on with secrecy and silence, as the broaching of any new 
heresy, the making a new schism, the alteration of reli- 
gion, the starting up of some new society and pretenders 
to reformation. 

What tumults did not all the forementioned sectaries 
raise in preaching their new gospel ? What stirs and 
commotions ensued, at the reformation of Church and 
faith, pretended by Luther, Zuinglius, and Calvin ? How 
then can it be judged in the least probable, that a great 
variety of erroneous tenets and anti-christian doctrines 
should be introduced by the Papists, contrary to the sense 
and belief of all Christianity, either in the fourth, fifth, 
sixth, or tenth century, and yet that there should not be 
the least disturbance occasioned by it, no tumults or op- 
position, but all done with so much quietness, in such 
profound peace and silence, that had it not been for the 
news brought, some ages after, we had never suspected 
the alteration? And is this possible? Is it possible, 
that the whole Christian world should change their re- 
ligion, both as to the internal belief, and external profes- 
eion and exercise of it ; and nobody be sensible of the 



75 

change, so as to withstand the abomination, or to trans- 
mit to posterity, even so much as the least word of its 
beginning or propagation? Let any man, upon some 
consideration, tell me, whether it be possible, that this 
one little kingdom of England should fall from this pure 
apostolical doctrine it now professes, into downright 
popery, or any other way alter the whole scheme of its 
religion, and have the alteration confirmed by several 
Acts of Parliament, and continue in the exercise of it 
for 1000, 500, or even 100 years, and yet no one in the 
kingdom, or out of it, should be sensible of the alteration ; 
but all to be managed with such policy and craft, that 
the whole business should be a secret for many ages ? 
And if this be scarce to be thought possible of this one 
kingdom, what can be imagined when it is affirmed of 
many nations, of the whole Christian world ? Can any 
thing look more like a fable or romance ? Or can any 
rational man, barely upon such a report, condemn the 
faith and religion of his ancestors, for novelty and human 
inventions ; and quite laying aside this, take the man for 
the rule of his reformation, who thus, without reason, 
justice or truth, has thrown such infamy upon all the 
Christians preceding him for a thousand years ? 

But not to insist on these reasonings, for the wiping 
off the scandal of novelty from the doctrine of the Church 
of Rome ; it would not be amiss here, to look beyond the 
tenth century, as also beyond the time of Pope Gregory. 
And, if in those earlier Christians, nothing can be found 
of that faith and profession, which is charged as novelty, 
and error against the Church of Rome ; all the Papists 
in the world shall join with their adversaries, and con- 
demning Pope Gregory for a seducer, and all of the tenth 
age for ignoramuses, shall in one voice with them cry out 
against all such doctrine, novelty, novelty ! error, error ! 
But if on the contrary, every point thus challenged of 
novelty, shall appear to have been the profession of the 
faithful in the time of the purity of the gospel; if, before 
Pope Gregory, we find that invocation of Saints, the 
real Presence, Transubstantiation, Purgatory, prayers 
for the dead, the use of holy images, relics, the sign of 
the Cross, &c. were a received doctrine and common 



76 

practice of Christians in those primitive times ; then shall 
the Papists remain as they are, as being of the same 
faith and religion with those ancient believers, without 
any additions and alterations ; and all their adversaries 
ought in justice to retract their imputation of novelty to 
the ancient faith. 

In order to this, I intended in this place, to have given 
the reader a fair prospect of the doctrine and belief of 
'Jie Fathers, of the first five hundred years after Christ; 
but finding the matter to increase so much beyond ex- 
pectation upon my hands, I have reserved them for ano- 
ther occasion.* But, however, upon confidence of what 
I am able to produce in that point, I cannot omit to as- 
sure the reader, that the chief and most material points 
charged upon the Church of Rome for novelty, the pri- 
mitive Fathers do so plainly own to have been the faith 
and profession of the Church in tfleir days; and to have 
been delivered down and taught as the doctrine of the 
Apostles; that an impartial considerer need not take 
much time to conclude, whether are the greater innova- 
tors, those that now believe and profess these tenets and 
practices; or they that disown and reject them. 

It is evident, that every point of that doctrine which is 
now decried for Popery, and basely stigmatized with the 
note of errors introduced of late, and of a modern inven- 
tion, is by many ages older than those who are charged 
with being the authors of them ; that every particular 
article laid to the ignorance of the tenth century, or to 
the contrivance of Pope Gregory, are as expressly and 
clearly owned, and taught some ages before, as they are 
now at this day. That those great men were as down- 
right Papists in these points, as we are now. And that 
any disturber of Christianity might have as well defamed 
them for believers of novelties and errors, as we are now 
at this present. The faith that they professed then, we 
profess now ; and if any other doctrine be novelty, it is a 
novelty of about 1200 years standing; and who can ques- 
tion it not to be of an older date ? If it was the public be- 

* See Mr. Gother's Jfubes Testium. 



77 

hef of the Christian world, in the fourth century, who can 
be better witnesses of what was believed before them, in 
the three first centuries, than they ? They tell us, that 
the doctrine they maintained and delivered, is the faith 
of the Catholic Church received from their forefathers, 
and as it was taught by the Apostles ; and we do not 
find that in any of these points they were challenged by 
any authority or opposed by the Pastors of the Church, 
or any writers either then living or succeeding them, but 
received always with great veneration ; and upon what 
grounds can any challenge them now ? Is it possible 
that any now living, can give a better account of what 
was believed and practised in the third age, than they 
that immediately followed them ? Which will be the 
more credible witness of what was done in the year 1748 
— those that shall be alive fifty years hence, or they that 
are not to come these thousand years? 

If, therefore, these holy men declare to us the doctrine 
they believed, with an assurance that it was the faith of 
the Catholic Church, so believed by their ancestors, and 
as they had received from the Apostles and their suc- 
cessors, do they not deserve better credit than others, 
who, coming a thousand years after, cry out against all 
these several points, that they are nothing but novelty 
and error? It is evident, therefore, that this noise of 
novelty, was nothing but a stratagem for the introducing 
of novelties ; and that those that brought an infamy upon 
these points, by this aspersion, might with as great ap- 
plause, and as easily, have laid a scandal upon every 
other article of the Christian faith which they thought 
fit to retain, and have had them all exploded for novelty. 
And this has been so far done already, that even three 
parts of the doctrine, picked out by the first Reformers, 
for apostolical and conformable to the word of God, we 
have seen in our days clamoured against for novelty, and 
thrown by with a general disapprobation, and as clear 
evidence of the charge, as ever they laid by Transub- 
stantiation and the Primacy. 
G 2 



78 



CONCLUSION. 

These are the characters of the Papist, as he is mis- 
represented, and as represented. And as different as the 
one is from the other, so different is the Papist as reputed 
by his maligners, from the Papist as he is himself. The 
one is so absurd and monstrous, that it is impossible for 
any one to be of that profession, without first laying by 
all thoughts of Christianity, and his reason too. The 
other is just contradictory to this ; and without any fur- 
ther apology, may be exposed to the perusal of all pru- 
dent and dispassionate considerers, to examine if there 
be any thing in it that deserves the hatred of any Chris- 
tian; or if it be not in every point wholly conformable to 
the doctrine of Christ, and not in the least contrary to 
reason. The former is a Papist, as he is generally ap- 
prehended by those who have a Protestant education ; 
such as whensoever reflected on, is conceived to be a 
perverse, malicious sort of creature, superstitious, idola- 
trous, atheistical, cruel, bloody-minded, barbarous, 
treacherous, and so profane, and every way inhuman, 
that it is in some manner doubted, whether he be man 
or not. The other is a Papist, whose faith is according 
to the proposal of the Catholic Church, which, by 
Christ's command, he is obliged to believe and hear ; and 
whose whole design in this world is for obtaining salva- 
tion in the next. And is it not strange, that these two 
characters so directly opposite, so wholly unlike one to 
the other, that heaven and hell is not more so, should 
agree to the same person ? It is certainly a strange 
piece of injustice, and yet not at all strange to those, 
who know, that they who follow Christ shall be hated 
by the world ; that those who study the wisdom of hea- 
ven, shall have the repute of fools; and that as many as 
attend the Lamb, shall be painted in the livery of Satan; 
our forefathers were so before us ; so were all the primi- 
tive Christians, the Apostles, and even the Lamb him- 
self, our Redeemer. Calumny ever followed them — 
misrepresentation waited upon them — and what wonder 
then that infamy was their constant attendant ? 



79 

And now, if the orthodox Christians have thus in al* 
ages had their double character ; one of justice, exactly 
drawn from what they really believed and practised ; the 
other of malice, copied from them as misrepresented ; it 
is not at all strange to find it so now in our days, when 
calumny, malice, ignorance, &c. are as powerful as ever ; 
Which though from the beginning of the world, that is 
above five thousand years, they have made it their chief 
business to paint, copy, and misrepresent things and 
persons; yet they never did it with so much injury, so 
altogether unlikely, as they do now to the Papists ; there 
being scarce any one point of their faith and profession, 
which they do not either blindly mistake, or basely dis- 
guise. 

The Papists believe it is convenient to pray before holy 
images, and give them an inferior or relative respect. 

These describe the Papists praying to images, and 
worshipping them as idols. 

The Papists believe it is good to desire the prayers of 
the Saints, and honour them as the friends of God. 

These paint out the Papists as believing the Saints to 
be their redeemers, and adoring them as gods. 

The Papists believe, that Christ left a power in the 
Priests of his Church, to absolve all truly penitent sinners 
from their offences. 

These represent the Papists as believing that the 
Priests can infallibly forgive all such as come to confes- 
sion, whether they repent or not. 

The Papists believe there is ' power in the supreme 
Pastor, upon due motives, of granting indulgences; that 
is, of releasing to the faithful such temporal penalties as 
remained due to their past sins, already remitted as to 
their guilt, on condition they perform such Christian 
duties as shall be assigned them, i. e. humble themselves 
by fasting, confess their sins with a hearty repentance, 
receive worthily the holy Communion, and give alms to 
the poor, &c. 

These make the Papists believe, that the Pope, for a 
sum of money, can give them leave to commit what sins 
they sha]] think fit, with a certain pardon for all crimes 



80 

already incurred ; and that there can be no danger of 
damnation to any, if they can but make a large present 
to Rome at their death. 

The Papists believe, that by the merits of Christ, the 
good works of a just man are acceptable to God and 
through his goodness and promise, meritorious of eternal 
happiness. 

These report that the Papists believe they can merit 
heaven by their own works, without any dependance on 
the work of our Redemption. 

The Papists worship Christ really present in the Sa- 
crament, true God and man. 

These say they fall down to, and worship a piece of 
bread. 

Some Papists maintain the deposing power ; these will 
have it to be an article of their faith, and that they are 
obliged to it by their religion. 

Some Papists have been traitors, rebels, conspirators, 
&c. 

These make these villanies to be meritorious among 
the Papists, and that it is the doctrine of their Church. 

And thus there is scarce any one thing belonging to 
their faith, and exercise of their religion, which is not 
wronged in the describing of it, and injuriously misre- 
presented. 

And are not the Papists, then, such as they are com- 
monly represented ? No ; they are no more alike than 
the Christians were of old, under the persecuting Em- 
perors, to what they appeared, when, clothed with lions' 
and bears' skins, they were exposed in the amphitheatre 
to wild beasts, under those borrowed shapes, to provoke 
their savage appetites to greater fury ; and that they 
might infallibly, and with more rage, be torn to pieces. 

Let any but search into the Councils of Rome, even 
that of Trent, than which none can be more Popish ; let 
them peruse her Catechisms, that ad Parochos, or others, 
set forth for Pastors to instruct their flock, and for chil- 
dren, youth, and others, to learn their Christian doctrine, 
of which there is extant a great variety in English. Let 
them examine Verron's Rule of Faith, and that set forth 



81 ■ 

by the Bishop of M'eaux. Let them look into the spirit- 
ual books of direction ; those of St. Francis of Sales, the 
Following of Christ, the Spiritual Combat, Granada's 
Works, and infinite others of this sort, which Papists 
generally keep by them for their instruction ; and then 
let them freely declare, whether the Papists are so ill 
principled, either as to their faith and morals, as they are 
generally made to appear. A little diligence in this 
kind, with a serious inquiry into their conversation, their 
manner of living and dying, will easily discover, that the 
shape of the beast with which they are commonly ex- 
posed in public, is not theirs, but only the skin that is 
thrown over them. 

The Papists own, that there are amongst them men 
of very ill lives, and that, if every corner be narrowly 
sifted, there may be found great abuses, even of the 
most sacred things ; that some in great dignities have 
been highly vicious, and carried on wicked designs ; that 
some authors maintain and publish very absurd opinions, 
and of ill consequence. But these things are no part of 
their religion, they are the imperfections indeed, the 
crimes, the scandals of some in their communion ; but 
such as they are so far from being obliged to approve, 
maintain, or imitate, that they wish with all their hearts 
there had never been any such thing, and desire in these 
points a thorough reformation. Though the impru- 
dencies therefore, the failings, the extravagancies, the 
vices, that may be picked up throughout the whole so- 
ciety of Papists, are very numerous and great, and too 
sufficient, if drawn together, for the composing a most 
deformed antichristian monster, yet the Popery of the 
Roman Catholics is no such monster as it is painted. 
Those things which are commonly brought against them, 
being as much detested by them, as by the persons that 
lay the charge to their disfavour ; and have no more re- 
lation to them, than weeds and tares to the corn amongst 
which it grows, or chaff to the wheat with which it is 
mixed in one heap. 

A Papist, therefore, is no more than he is above repre- 
sented ; and whosoever enters that Communion, has no 



82 

obligation of believing otherwise, than as there is speci- 
fied. And though in each particular I have cited no 
authorities ; yet for the truth and exactness of the cha- 
racter, I appeal to the council of Trent. And, if in any 
point it shall be found to disagree, I again promise, upon 
notice, publicly to own it. And as for the other part of 
the Papist misrepresented , it contains such tenets as are r 
wrongfully charged upon the Papists, and in as many 
respects as it is contrary to the other character, in so 
many it is contrary to the faith of their Church ; and so 
far they are ready to disown them, and subscribe to their 
condemnation. And, though any serious inquirer may 
be easily satisfied as to the truth of this, yet for a public 
satisfaction, to show that these abominable unchristian 
doctrines are no part of their belief, however extravagant 
some men may be in their opinions, the Papists acknow- 
ledge that a faith assenting to such tenets, is wholly op- 
posite to the honour of God, and destructive to the Gos- 
pel of Christ. And since it is lawful for any Christian 
to answer Amen to such anathemas as are pronounced 
against things apparently sinful ; the Papists, to show to 
the world that they disown the following tenets, com 
monly laid to their door; do hereby oblige themselves 
that if the ensuing curses be added to those appointed tt* 
be read on the first day of Lent, they will seriously ano 
heartily answer Amen to them all. 



ANATHEMAS. 

I. Cursed is he that commits idolatry, that prays if, 
images, or relics, or worships them for God. jR. Amen 

II. Cursed is every goddess worshipper, that believes 
the Virgin Mary to be any more than a creature ; that 
worships her, or puts his trust in her more than in God ; 
that believes her above her Son, or that she can in any 
thing command him. jR. Amen. 



83 

III. Cursed is he that believes the Saints in heaven 
to be his redeemers, that prays to them as such, or that 
gives God's honour to them, or to any creature whatso- 
ever. R. Amen. 

IV. Cursed is he that worships any breaden God, or 
makes gods of the empty elements of bread and wine. 
R. Amen. 

V. Cursed is he that believes that Priests can forgive 
sins, whether the sinner repent or not ; or that there is 
any power on earth that can forgive sins, without a 
hearty repentance, and serious purpose of amendment. 
R. Amen. 

VI. Cursed is he who believes there is authority in 
the Church, Pope, Councils, or Priests, which can give 
leave to commit sin, depose or murder Sovereigns, ab- 
solve from allegiance, or to authorize breaches of fidelity 
with persons of what rank or condition soever, and how 
different their religious opinions may be, or that they can 
forgive sins for a sum of money. R, Amen. 

VII. Cursed is he that believes, that independent of 
the merits and passion of Christ, he can merit salvation 
by his own good works ; or make condign satisfaction for 
the guilt of his sins, or the pains eternal due to them. 
R. Amen. 

VIII. Cursed is he that contemns the word of God, 
or hides it from the people, with design to keep them 
from the knowledge of their duty, and to preserve them 
in ignorance and error. R. Amen. 

TX. Cursed is he that undervalues the word of God, 
or that, forsaking Scripture, chooses rather to follow hu- 
man traditions than it. JR. Amen. 

X. Cursed is he that leaves the commandments of 
God to observe the constitutions of men. R. Amen. 



84 

XI. Cursed is he that omits any of the ten Command- 
ments, or keeps the people from the knowledge of any 
one of them, to the end they may not have occasion of 
discovering the truth. 

XII. Cursed is he that preaches to the people in 
unknown tongues, such as they understand not; or uses 
any other means to keep them in ignorance. jR. Amen. 

XIII. Cursed is he that believes that the Pope can 
give to any, upon any account whatsoever, dispensations 
to lie or swear falsely ; or that it is lawful for any, at the 
last hour, to protest himself innocent, in case he be guilty. 
R. Amen. 

XIV. Cursed is he that encourages sin, or teaches 
men to defer the amendment of their lives, on presump- 
tion of a death-bed repentance. R. Amen. 

XV. Cursed is he that teaches men that they may 
be lawfully drunk on a Friday, or any other fasting day ; 
though they must not taste the least bit of flesh. R. 
Amen. 

XVI. Cursed is he who places religion in nothing 
but a pompous show, consisting only in ceremonies ; and 
which teaches not the people to serve God in spirit and 
truth. R. Amen. 

XVII. Cursed is he who loves or promotes cruelty, 
that teaches people to be bloodyminded, and to lay aside 
the meekness of Jesus Christ. R. Amen. 

XVIII. Cursed is he who teaches it lawful to do any 
wicked thing, though it be for the interest and good of 
the mother Church ; or that any evil action may be done, 
that good may come of it. R. Amen. 

XIX. Cursed are we, if amongst all those wicked 
principles, and damnable doctrines, commonly laid at our 



85 

doors, any one of them be the faith of our Church : and 
cursed are we, if we do not as heartily detest all those 
hellish practices, as they that so vehemently urge them 
against us. R. Amen. 

XX. Cursed are we, if in answering, and saying 
Amen to any of these curses, we use any equivocations, 
or mental reservations ; or do not assent to them in the 
common and obvious sense of the words. R. Amen. 



And can the Papists then, thus seriously, and without 
the check of conscience, say Amen to all these curses ? 
Yes they can, and are ready to do it, whensoever, and as 
often as it shall be required of them. And what then is 
to be said of those who either by word or writing, charge 
these doctrines upon^the faith of the Church of Rome? 
Is a lying spirit in the mouths of their prophets ? I will 
say no such thing, but leave the impartial considerer to 
judge. 

One thing I can safely affirm, that the Papists are 
foully misrepresented, and show in public, as much unlike 
what they are, as the Christians of old under the slan- 
ders of the Gentiles; that they he under a great calumny, 
and severely smart in good name, person, and estates, for 
such things, which they as much and as heartily detest, 
as those who accuse them. But the comfort is, Christ 
hath said to his followers, Ye shall be hated of all men, 
•Matt. x. 22. and St. Paul, We are made a spectacle unto 
the world ; and we do not doubt but that whosoever bears 
this with patience, shall for every loss here, and contempt, 
. receive a hundred fold in heaven. 



86 

CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Introduction ------ 5 

Of Praying to images 11 

Of Worshipping Saints 13 

Of Praying to the Virgin Mary - - - 15 

Of Relies 16 

Of the Eucharist 17 

Of Merits and Good Works - - - - 20- 

Of Confession - - - - - - 21 

Of Indulgences 22 

Of Satisfaction 23 

Of Reading the Holy Scriptures 25 

Of the Scripture as a Rule of Faith 26 

Of the Interpretation of the Scripture - - 28 

Of Tradition 29 

Of Councils ------- 30 

Of the Infallibility of the Church - - - 31 

Of the Pope 34 

Of Dispensations - - - - - - 35 

Of the Deposing Power ----- 37 

Of Communion in one kind 38 

Of the Mass 40 

Of Purgatory -------42 

Of Praying in an Unknown Tongue 44 

Of the Second Commandment 47 

Of Mental Reservations - - - 49 

Of Death-bed Repentance 50 

Of Fasting 51 

Of Divisions and Schisms in the Church - - 53 

Of Friars and Nuns 55 

Of Wicked Principles and Practices 57 

Of Miracles 61 

Of Holy Water - - .- - - - 63 

Of Breeding up People in Ignorance - - 65 

Of the Uncharitableness of the Papists - - 67 

Of Innovation in Matters of Faith 70 

The Conclusion ------ 78 

Anathemas ---- ---82 



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